The Gold Coast Bulletin

KEARY HAS A WISER OUTLOOK

- DEAN RITCHIE

LUKE Keary helped end South Sydney’s 43-year premiershi­p drought.

Problem was, he took it for granted. He thought the good times would roll on forever. They haven’t.

Keary, then 21, was just 15 games into his NRL career when South Sydney famously won the 2014 grand final.

Since that historic day, Keary has had a fallout with Souths co-owner Russell Crowe, left the Rabbitohs, sustained serious injuries and hasn’t won a title since.

He is now older and wiser and appreciate­s how special a premiershi­p is.

It’s why the Roosters fiveeighth said yesterday a title this year would probably mean more to him than the Rabbitohs victory.

“I think you do take it for granted a little bit at that age. You don’t appreciate it, you just think it will be put in your hand every year,” Keary said.

“Fifteen games in, I hadn’t gone through any adversity or tough times.

“You just don’t appreciate it as much than if you had gone through a couple of tough years, the highs and lows.”

Keary left Souths after 2015. He said it didn’t even feel like Souths was his former club – rather just another club.

“It’s been a few years now,” he said. “This kind of feels like home now.

“Last year I felt like Souths was my old team and you had to ‘give it to them’ and you get more nervous.”

 ??  ?? Luke Keary warms up at Roosters training and (inset) celebrates Souths’ grand final win in 2014.
Luke Keary warms up at Roosters training and (inset) celebrates Souths’ grand final win in 2014.
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