How we snared Carney
A SURPRISE phone call from a long lost mate may be the reason Todd Carney turned his back on big-money offers from QRL rivals to join the Northern Pride in 2018.
The Pride’s prized recruit will land in Cairns this afternoon and is set to join the club’s revamped roster in preseason training this week.
But the former Dally M medallist wouldn’t have even considered a move to the Far North if it weren’t for Pride utility Colin Wilkie reaching out to his junior Australian representative teammate earlier this year.
Wilkie yesterday played down his role in landing the former NRL standout but acknowledged he had contacted Carney while the former NSW halfback was playing with Salford Red Devils in the English Super League earlier this year.
“All the credit goes to (Pride coach) Ty (Williams) and (CEO) Greg (Dowling),” Wilkie said. “They got the deal done and made it happen but I did get in touch with Toddy a few months ago.
“I had an inkling an opportunity may emerge where he could come back to Australia.
“I let him know that we’d love to have him here.
“I said we’d blooded a lot of good young players.
“We were probably just lacking that experienced half to turn a close game into a win.
“He was excited by that. Obviously, money wasn’t the driving factor because if it was we wouldn’t have had a chance.”
Carney, who played for the Atherton Roosters after being deregistered by the NRL in 2009, is expected to help fasttrack the Pride’s promising young guns, including Jack Campagnolo and Jordan Biondi-Odo.
“That’s where he’s going to make the biggest difference,” Wilkie said.
“What he’s learned over his career is so valuable.
“The role he’s going to play in developing our playing list will make us all better players.
“I know people have heard the bad stuff but if you talk to any of his former teammates, people will tell you how good a person he is.
“I think people will realise pretty quickly he is a top fella.”
While playing in Italy’s opening-round match against Ireland, Wilkie, 32, sustained a “popped rib” that kept him out of the Azzurri’s remaining matches. But the veteran hooker has since returned to training with the Pride.
“Unfortunately, it coincided with me having a bit of a cold, so it was pretty unpleasant,” Wilkie said. “The physio said it’s not the cartilage or bone, it’s just out of the place.”