Make a captain’s call and know when to call it a night

THE proudest day of my life was the day I became an NRL player. For a kid from Tweed Heads who just loved league, it was a dream come true.

After years of playing schoolboy footy, I was finally a Gold Coast Titan. I celebrated the achievement with my family and friends. It was a moment I’ll remember forever.

Before I knew it, I was living the life of a professional athlete. Training hard and playing hard.

Of course, the temptation was always there to party hard as well.

Outside of captaining the Titans, playing in the Indigenous All Stars team and for NSW Country Origin have been moments of my career I’ll remember forever.

Sometimes I still pinch myself at how lucky I am to be living my dream. I’ve never taken this opportunity for granted.

This sense of gratitude is shared by the vast majority of NRL players, but sadly you only have to read the newspapers or look at the TV news bulletins to see negative headlines generated by the minority whose behaviour brings our great game into disrepute.

Most of the time, drinking to excess was involved. It’s easy to get caught up in the scene when you want to go and have a good time with your friends. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a beer – especially when we’ve had a win.

But I know my personal limits and keep myself in control. At the Titans, we also have a club-wide philosophy that it is OK to not have a drink.

This was reinforced at the DrinkWise club and player education session undertaken by the Titans yesterday – making us the first NRL club to participate in these sessions.

DrinkWise is an organisation that works with many groups in the community, including sporting codes, to educate Australians who choose to drink to do so in moderation.

The education session was endorsed by Mal Meninga, the Head of Performance and Culture at the Titans. Mal is a champion of the game in every respect. He has enjoyed a wonderful career as a player and a coach, but he is also a passionate defender of the game and wants to see rugby league thrive and be the best it can be.

To do that, Mal reinforced the message that all of us involved in the game – from the fans to the coach of the Kangaroos – are responsible for protecting its reputation by making better choices.

My teammates also took a lot from Ben Crowe – a professional athlete and business mentor – who’s credited with helping Ash Barty’s triumphant return to the tennis circuit to claim her historic French Open title.

Ben gave us a great insight about how to set ourselves up for success on and off the field.

The plan is for all 4000 registered rugby league players and club officials – from juniors to the elite level – to undertake the DrinkWise club and player education sessions to ensure this important message is delivered right across the game.

While the message is an important one for all NRL players, the fans should take notice too.

When you come to watch us play or you are sitting at home in front of the TV, enjoy a drink with your friends and family if that is what you decide to do. But if you do drink, know your limits, like I know mine. RYAN JAMES, GOLD COAST TITANS CAPTAIN