Fish take back seat to footy

FISHING or football?

That was the ultimatum North Queensland Cowboys coach Paul Green issued Scott Bolton on the day they met in late 2014.

Bolton could have played out the remaining years of his NRL career as a bench forward whose only job was to hold fort while Test prop Matt Scott had a breather.

Or he could have developed into North Queensland’s saviour when the Cowboys needed him most.

“I made a choice a couple of years ago to put football first,” Bolton said.

“When Paul Green arrived here, on the first day I met him, he sat me down and asked me whether I wanted to be a fulltime footballer or a full-time fisherman.

“That came as a bit of a challenge from him and it turned the back end of my career around.

“To be honest, I was a bit complacent. I was just happy enough playing first grade at the Cowboys and probably not really striving to be my best. I was happy playing 15 minutes a game and just being in the side with a great bunch of blokes.

“I am an Innisfail boy, so often, being homesick, I used to drive home two or three times a week. Each trip is six hours of travel so that can’t work long-term if you want to be a professional footballer.

“I decided I wanted to achieve more and have a sense of belonging in the team.”

That belonging arrived this year, Bolton’s 11th season in the NRL.

Bolton, 30, was elevated to Scott’s starting front-row partner after premiership-winning prop James Tamou defected to Penrith. And when Scott suffered a season-ending knee injury in round 2, Bolton suddenly became North Queensland’s top front rower.

Bolton has started every game in 2017 and will again lead North Queensland’s charge in Sunday’s NRL grand final against the Storm at ANZ Stadium.

If the Cowboys lose he will drown his sorrows with a fishing and crabbing trip.