Carney leads the way in ode to dad
RUGBY LEAGUE EVERY now and then Todd Carney will catch himself explaining the finer points of rugby league and realise he sounds just like his biggest fan, harshest critic and best mate.
Daryl Carney died in December 2008 at Goulburn hospital in NSW’s Southern Tablelands, with his only son by his side, weakened by a brutal five-year battle with dementia.
As the coach of his 12-yearold, the elder Carney would show him tape of his matches, pointing out flaws in his game, nurturing a brilliant talent once voted the best in the game.
Carney’s journey from that Goulburn hospital room is part of rugby league folklore.
After being deregistered by the NRL, the five-eighth turned his back on a possible deal with Huddersfield in the UK and went bush, playing for the Atherton Roosters in the Cairns District Rugby League competition in 2009. He excelled, winning the league’s prestigious Gold Medal and leading a ragtag brood to an unlikely grand final, gifting countless weekend battlers with stories to tell their grandchildren.
The prodigal son once again returned to the big stage the following year, this time with Sydney, swearing off the grog and claiming the most treasured individual award in rugby league before it all came crashing down again.
Now, almost a decade later, Carney is back in the Far North rediscovering the same tools that once made him one of the best players in the world.
Mentoring younger players is bringing him closer to the man who started it all. The same man who called him three times a day when he first joined the Canberra Raiders and never missed a home game.
“It does (remind me of him) a little bit,” Carney said.
“But back when I started, Dad was pretty old school. A lot of things he said you probably wouldn’t do now.
“But that’s why I’m in this position. I’ve said that before. He’s made me the player I am today. I still use the things that he taught me and little things to keep me in check when I look back at my game.”
Since joining the Pride, Carney has taken promising young hooker Connor Jones under his wing. His enthusiasm is infectious.
“We’ve done some work together now and it reminds you of when you were young. It’s just giving back. I know when I was younger I had older blokes in front of me who guided me through.
“After Christmas, when our workload drops, is when we’ll be able to do a bit more, which I’m looking forward to.
“All I do is I show what I think I can teach – passing and catching on the run and how to set up plays. We’ve had a kicking session as well. It’s been good so far.”
Jones said refining his craft under Carney’s watchful eye was a blessing. “Obviously just having him here is a massive bonus for the club. He’s done pretty much everything in the game and got so much experience, so it’s awesome to learn from him,” he said.
“When he says something, everybody listens and everybody takes that advice on board, so I see him as a bit of a leader in our team.”
At this stage, whether Carney even plays a game for the Pride is uncertain.
But if he does, and the pair share the field, he knows the day Jones calls over him is when he’s made a real impact.
“As a half or hooker, the talk is the most important thing. You can’t be afraid to speak up,” he said.
“That’s why it takes so long for a young half to develop because you let older players around you go about their business.”
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