OLD? I COULD PLAY FOR 10 MORE YEARS
Super League’s golden oldie Westwood wants to go on and on
SUPER LEAGUE’S oldest player Ben Westwood has no intention of slowing down just yet.
The Warrington frontrower will turn 37 in July, having made his top-flight debut as a teenager with Wakefield in 1999.
But the arrival of coach Steve Price this season has revitalised the former England international, who has been an ever-present as the Wolves have overcome a stuttering start to win their last five.
Westwood said: “I don’t feel like the oldest man in Super League, no way.
“I’ve heard a rumour I am, but I don’t feel like that at all.
“I still have that desire to play, to beat people with the ball and win tackles.
“That’s never left, so as long as the body can do that, then why not? My body feels all right – I got through a good pre-season and I’ve done every training session and played every match.”
Asked whether he would consider playing on again next season he added: “We’ll see how we feel at the other end of the year, but at the moment I’m feeling great.
“There are a number of things – it’s not just whether I want to play on, but whether the club wants to keep me on.
“We haven’t got to that stage just yet, but if they don’t want me and it’s finally time to hang my boots up then something will turn up and I’ll move onto to do something new. If not, I’ll play on for the next 10 years!
“I wouldn’t like to play away from Warrington unless it was somewhere nice and warm with a bit of a beach.
“I couldn’t see myself anywhere else, I wouldn’t like to play against Warrington. Who knows what will happen... in three months’ time I could be crawling out of bed and crawling downstairs.
“But at this present time I’m as good as gold.”
The latest test of the Wolves’ upturn in fortunes comes against a Hull KR team that have struggled for consistency.
Westwood said: “We’re expecting the two points as we do in every game.
“They’ve got some dangerous players and are a very well-coached side. Tim Sheens will have some trick plays up his sleeve.
“But if we get our defence structure and game-plans right then we should come away with the two points.”