It’s not onerous to seek out rugby league’s hardest forwards when wanting again by way of historical past. From the likes of Ray Stehr, Noel Kelly and John ‘Dallas’ Donnelly to Paul Harragon, Mark Carroll and Gorden Tallis.
However the recreation was totally different when these guys performed. The sport was harder and scrappier. These days, it’s cleaner, whereas the trendy information of the hazards of head knocks has meant a zero-tolerance coverage for prime contact.
Consequently, the old style aggressor has largely disappeared from the sport. There’s arguably just one participant left in rugby league who nonetheless reveals these qualities: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
When the person often known as JWH runs out onto Allianz Stadium for his 307th Sydney Roosters recreation on Sunday afternoon, it will likely be a becoming tribute for rugby league’s final true aggressor, in addition to a testomony to his capacity to outlive in a altering recreation.
It would see him overtake his nice mate Mitchell Aubusson because the most-capped participant within the Roosters’ 117-season historical past.
Waerea-Hargreaves arrived at Bondi in 2010 amongst a raft of modifications for the Roosters. The membership had simply gained its first wood spoon since 1966, sacked coach Brad Fittler, misplaced their main sponsor (Samsung) and had launched plenty of gamers in an try to show across the membership’s tradition. They wanted contemporary blood, and a younger Waerea-Hargreaves was that.
JWH had already performed six video games for Manly and 4 Exams for New Zealand in 2009, however he was nonetheless a fresh-faced 21-year-old with lots to study. Coming from a rugby union background, Waerea-Hargreaves overtly admitted that he underestimated the toughness of league, lasting only some minutes in his first trial for the Sea Eagles.
He shortly learnt although and shortly established himself as one of many main forwards within the competitors. His first few years on the Roosters noticed him transfer from bench ahead to beginning prop; nonetheless, the membership struggled and Waerea-Hargreaves was largely a one-man wrecking ball up entrance.
Spencer Leniu confronts Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. (Photograph by Jason McCawley/Getty Photographs)
Enter Trent Robinson. Robinson took over as coach in 2013 and turned the membership right into a powerhouse nearly in a single day. He instilled a tougher edge within the forwards, permitting Waerea-Hargreaves to take his recreation to the following stage, successful his first premiership within the course of.
JWH, who had already developed a status as a tricky, aggressive front-rower grew to become a real chief inside the membership. He toed the road, even sometimes crossing it, however he was any person that different gamers feared. He led the way in which, taking over any problem put to him and his crew, defending the smaller gamers round.
He grew to become any person that Roosters followers liked and everybody else liked to hate.
Over the next decade, he has saved it up far longer than most different gamers, not to mention forwards, by no means taking a backward step. He’s had his share of accidents, most notably a torn ACL in 2015 when he was on the high of his recreation.
It took him some time upon his return to get again to his greatest, however he did, that includes prominently within the Roosters 2018 and 2019 premierships.
Even in his twilight years, his affect on the membership has been extraordinary. Even now, the Roosters seem like they’re lacking one thing when Waerea-Hargreaves is out.
Being an aggressor has meant that Waerea-Hargreaves has sometimes overstepped the road. All through his profession he’s been an everyday on the judiciary, chalking up 23 weeks of suspension (principally attributable to excessive tackles) from ten prices, in addition to 1000’s of {dollars} price of fines. He’s been sin binned 9 occasions and despatched off as soon as.
At occasions, he’s even appeared to cop harsher on-field punishments than others merely right down to status. The phrase “if that had been JWH” will get thrown round by a lot after they see a participant get a light-weight punishment.
In any case, the trendy recreation just isn’t constructed for a participant like Waerea-Hargreaves. But, he’s nonetheless right here.
When folks consider the Roosters’ biggest entrance rowers, Waerea-Hargreaves’ identify can be talked about alongside the Immortal Arthur Beetson.
He’s a rugby league survivor. By means of 15 seasons and 307 video games for the Roosters (plus six video games for Manly), three premierships and 33 Exams, he’s seen all of it. He’s recorded extra suspensions than most and overcome accidents that threatened to convey him down. He’s all the time bounced again and that’s why he’ll break the Roosters appearances file in his ultimate season earlier than an English swansong.
There’ll by no means be one other participant like Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. He’s the final old style aggressor.
