Packer rises above demons

Former league bad boy learns harsh lesson after serving two years in jail and now aims for World Cup glory with Kiwis.

PLAYING at the World Cup for the Kiwis is another step towards redemption for Russell Packer.

His well-publicised journey is the stuff movies get made about and if they were to make one of his life, the perfect final scene would be of him lifting the World Cup in Brisbane in six weeks.

With one hand on it the cup, he’d pause the cheering for a moment, spot his family in the crowd, climb through the stands and give them teary-eyed hugs. Roll credits and wait for the Oscar nominations to come in.

Without going over old ground, Packer was a sensational young player and made his NRL debut for the Warriors at 19, getting into the Kiwis two years later.

But there was a part of Packer that didn’t fit with the life of a professional athlete and 2013 he went off the rails, and was sentenced to two years in prison for assault.

Thankfully, he’s rebuilt his life since then and after two great years playing for the Dragons, he’s picked up a contract for Wests Tigers next season.

He’s also made it back into the Kiwis, so while in a way he’s come full circle, he’s got a totally different perspective this time.

‘‘Obviously I’m a lot older now and had a fair bit of life experience,’’ Packer said.

‘‘I was 21 back then and I’ve matured as you do when you get older.

‘‘The time that I spent on that tour (2011 Four Nations in England) is different to how I spend my time now, I’m soaking it up now and enjoying the experience.

‘‘You never can count on being in a Kiwis jersey and you never know when the next time is.’’

That next time should be against Samoa at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday for the Kiwis’ opening game of the World Cup.

Given Packer’s high-profile story, he could be held up as a role model for someone who’s been able to turn their life around.

He has shown that no matter how bad things get or how many poor decisions a person has made, they can still go down a different path.

But does Packer want to be seen as an inspiration? Does he want to continually re-live his mistakes for the betterment of others?

‘‘The history is the history,’’ he said.

‘‘A lot of people want to rewrite their own, but the fact is you can’t.

‘‘I went through what I went through and I feel like I’ve come out the other side a better person for it.

‘‘I’ve learned from the errors that I’ve made as a man and I strive not to be in any position where that could occur again.

‘‘Whether or not people want to look at what I’ve done, I don’t know.

‘‘I talk to the media because it’s a requirement of what I do, but I wouldn’t naturally ask to do stories about it.

‘‘The story I have so far is of a young kid growing up in a country town who was good at rugby league and made a lot of mistakes along the way.

‘‘I paid the price to society for them and I’ve worked hard to try to improve my life and to be a better person for my kids and my partner.

‘‘Whether people want to take motivation from it and see it as a feel-good story, I don’t know.

‘‘Hopefully it can impact someone, that if they’ve done the wrong thing they can accept the responsibility for it and know that there will be another opportunity down the path that will pop up and give the chance to do the right things.

‘‘I guess I’m living proof of that.’’

Packer’s reticence at being any sort of a figurehead is his own choice and it’s slightly different to that of former Warriors teammate Suaia Matagi.

Matagi became involved in gangs in Auckland when a teenager and was sentenced to three years in prison at the age of