Mago heeds lessons
“THIS is your last chance if you don’t wake up to yourself.”
They would have been hard words for Pat Mago to hear at the time, but the Cowboys youngster says heeding the lessons of the past helped him realise his NRL dream.
At his previous NRL club Canberra, Mago was told by the Raiders then under-20s coach Mick Mantelli he had to lift his professionalism if he expected to succeed.
He has done just that and the 22-year-old was rewarded with his debut in last week’s loss at Penrith, making 63 metres off five runs off the bench.
“The past made me stronger and looking back at all the stuff that happened in the past, I definitely learned a lot from it,” he said.
“My roommate Sam (Hoare, fellow Cowboys forward) has taught me how to eat right, he’s helped me big time with my diet.
“I’ve moved to the middle now, so the work rate is more than what it was on the edge.
“I’m staying away from McDonald’s, eating more veggies and keeping it simple.”
The Junior Kangaroo joined the Cowboys on a trainand-trial contract last year, and his form for Mackay Cutters eventually earned him a two-year deal.
“I came up here for a train and trial and it was definitely a big risk, but I’m glad I pushed through it and got my debut,” Mago said.
“I felt like I needed a change personally. I knew nobody up here, a fresh start was probably the best thing for me.”
The Cowboys’ huge injury toll opened up an opportunity for Mago and he will face a tough test against Cronulla’s all-star pack in Townsville on Saturday night.
He said he will be better prepared after the pace of the NRL shocked him against Penrith.
“It was harder than what I thought, the speed of the game caught me by surprise, but now I know what to expect,” Mago said.
“Jase (Taumalolo) has been a big role model for me. Before my debut he said ‘don’t go out there trying to make every tackle, you’ve got to go hard but reserve some for later’.”
Taumalolo quipped Mago had some “excessive baggage” when he arrived from Canberra but backed him to continue his renewed work ethic.
“Not too many players want to stand in front of him at training,” Taumalolo said.
“It’s up to him now if he wants to stay in the team and work hard, or get comfortable and drop off, but knowing Patty he’ll definitely keep working hard.”