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Sydney Roosters forward Boyd Cordner turned 20 yesterday but he wasn't joking when, as he prepared for today's match against Brisbane, he said he hadn't felt like a teenager for quite a few years.
''The playing and training takes a toll on your body,'' said Cordner, who has never looked back since making his debut against the Warriors in round 13 last year. ''Rugby league has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride, which is always the way with footy, whether it's winning or losing or injuries. You don't know what you're going to get so you take it day by day, week by week.''
Cordner, who started training with the Roosters first-grade squad when he was only 16, has suffered for his art. His medical chart records a broken jaw and four operations on his right knee and one on his left. Yet even when at their most painful, Cordner's injuries could not dampen his enthusiasm to play first grade.
''There was never a question of what I wanted to do, so no matter what was thrown at me I was going to overcome it to fulfil my dream to play in the NRL,'' he said. ''[The injuries] took a lot out of me but I was fortunate to have family and friends help me to get through them.''
By his own admission he is a young man in a hurry and his determination, allied with his skills, have stamped Cordner as a player to watch. Already this year he has captained the NSW under-20 Origin team to a victory and displayed great poise in the last-second win over South Sydney to grubber-kick ahead for fullback Anthony Minichiello to score. And no doubt Newcastle prop Willie Mason is still feeling the after-shocks of his bone-rattling hit in round nine.
''I'm getting more confident game by game. I always work hard at training where there's no pressure on you, so I try a few things [such as pin-point accurate grubber kicks] and they seem to come off. When I get a bit more comfortable in first grade I hope to show some more skills.''
Cordner is among a number of young Roosters finding their feet in first grade but it's expected they're being readied for future success via some tough lessons. Centre Tautau Moga, who has been compared to Israel Folau and Sonny Bill Williams, is another who has captured the imagination of many Roosters fans.
''Tautau is a massive talent,'' Cordner said. ''He's been killing it in the under-20s by scoring great tries. It was only a matter of time before he got his shot at the NRL and when I played against Queensland [under 20] we had to watch him as he can score from anywhere on the field …
''I'm definitely looking forward to watching him grow in the NRL...smh
''The playing and training takes a toll on your body,'' said Cordner, who has never looked back since making his debut against the Warriors in round 13 last year. ''Rugby league has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride, which is always the way with footy, whether it's winning or losing or injuries. You don't know what you're going to get so you take it day by day, week by week.''
Cordner, who started training with the Roosters first-grade squad when he was only 16, has suffered for his art. His medical chart records a broken jaw and four operations on his right knee and one on his left. Yet even when at their most painful, Cordner's injuries could not dampen his enthusiasm to play first grade.
''There was never a question of what I wanted to do, so no matter what was thrown at me I was going to overcome it to fulfil my dream to play in the NRL,'' he said. ''[The injuries] took a lot out of me but I was fortunate to have family and friends help me to get through them.''
By his own admission he is a young man in a hurry and his determination, allied with his skills, have stamped Cordner as a player to watch. Already this year he has captained the NSW under-20 Origin team to a victory and displayed great poise in the last-second win over South Sydney to grubber-kick ahead for fullback Anthony Minichiello to score. And no doubt Newcastle prop Willie Mason is still feeling the after-shocks of his bone-rattling hit in round nine.
''I'm getting more confident game by game. I always work hard at training where there's no pressure on you, so I try a few things [such as pin-point accurate grubber kicks] and they seem to come off. When I get a bit more comfortable in first grade I hope to show some more skills.''
Cordner is among a number of young Roosters finding their feet in first grade but it's expected they're being readied for future success via some tough lessons. Centre Tautau Moga, who has been compared to Israel Folau and Sonny Bill Williams, is another who has captured the imagination of many Roosters fans.
''Tautau is a massive talent,'' Cordner said. ''He's been killing it in the under-20s by scoring great tries. It was only a matter of time before he got his shot at the NRL and when I played against Queensland [under 20] we had to watch him as he can score from anywhere on the field …
''I'm definitely looking forward to watching him grow in the NRL...smh
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