NRL TIPPING CHART INSIDE
PLUS: FORMER TITAN ASH HARRISON SWOOPS IN WITH SEAHAWKS
GUESS who’s back?
Former Maroons and Titans workhorse Ash Harrison will resurrect his rugby league career on the Gold Coast this year – and he means business.
Harrison has agreed to pull on the boots to play for the Tugun Seahawks, where his sons Ethan and Will play juniors.
His boys played a key role in his return, along with him being able to find time between his work as a financial planner.
“The only reason is my young fella goes ‘Dad, when are you going to play again?’ said the 36-year-old, who won an NRL premiership at the Broncos back in 2000.
Harrison’s competitive edge clearly hasn’t waned.
“I’m not going down there to have fun, I’m going down there to compete and hopefully help the boys out in some way,” he said.
“I’m going to have to be preparing pretty much like I always did to be able to play pretty good footy.
“I’m not going down there with an attitude that it is going to be easy.”
The powerhouse Seahawks underwent a major clean-out in the offseason and Harrison could prove a pivotal figure given his standing in the game.
“They are trying to rebuild that culture down at Tugun and I definitely want to be a part of that,” Harrison said.
“If I can take some of what made me OK at the top level down there and pass that on, well then I will have done my job.”
He has hit the gym to build up to 90kg – just shy of his professional playing weight – having dropped to as low as 78kg while competing in triathlons.
A spot in the second-row may be likely as he considers his days in the middle of the field “probably over”, and declared the neck injury that forced his NRL retirement in 2014 had healed.