RUGBY LEAGUE
THE Oberon Tigers, perennial Group 10 premier league cellar-dwellers, have pulled off the recruiting coup of the off-season after acquiring the services of NRL premiership winning prop George Rose for the 2016 season.
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A cult hero for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Melbourne Storm and then finally St George-Illawarra Dragons, Rose officially signed on for the Tigers on Wednesday morning, confirming a wave of whispers and speculation.
Rose is the first player since Orange CYMS captain-coach Mick Sullivan to come straight from the NRL to Group 10 and in a huge boost for Oberon he’s brought brothers Matt and Trent - both members of CYMS’ 2015 premiership side - to Tigertown with him.
“I always wanted to come back and play some footy with my brothers,” the affable front-rower said.
“My brothers and I talked a bit about it last year that I would like to come back to Group 10 and it’s exciting to see it happen.
“The support out at Oberon has always been great and I’m looking forward to them coming out to cheer us on.
“The fact that you get to go out there, play a bit of footy and enjoy yourself, and play the game as you see it rather than the heavily structured game you see at the top, is great.”
Rose came to the end of his NRL career last year following a one-season deal with the Dragons, after a career in which he played 151 games, won the 2011 title with Manly and a man-of-the-match award in last year’s All Stars match-up.
“That (All-Stars game) was one of the best and most memorable games that I played,” Rose said.
“I probably got half-way through last season when it knew that it was going to be my last year.
“In my final game I had Trent and Matt come down and watch me play. I knew that it was going to be my last game but they didn’t. That was a very special moment for me.
“I’ll hopefully be able to hang around in Group 10 for a while but I’ll just take it as it comes.”
The Rose brothers join a host of others Oberon have recruited, including former NRL half Jason Ferris, who was rumoured to have reneged on his deal before Tigers captain-coach Zac Rowlandson confirmed, on Wednesday, he will be in black in gold.
George, Matt and Trent Rose and Ferris will join the likes of former Wellington Orcas halfback Anton Werera and former Coffs Harbour Comets winger Abel Faifua-Lefaoseu in a side Rowlandson has since, candidly, branded a grand final hope.
Rose said he’d like to make his club debut in this weekend’s Bathurst Panthers Knockout, but conceded it’s unlikely he’ll be cleared in time.
Instead, there’s a real chance his first game in black and gold will be in round one when the Tigers host reigning premiers CYMS.
