SECOND CHANCE
JESSE Savage is quickly rebuilding his reputation and rugby league career after a drugs scandal. And the 21-year-old Burleigh Heads second-rower has sage advice for other young players.
JESSE Savage is quickly rebuilding his reputation and there is a hard-earned lesson he is happy to share with any up-and-comer that drives him.
The second-rower was on the fast track to the NRL as part of Cronulla’s under-20 squad until his career was stalled by a disastrous 2017.
Savage missed all but the first two games of the year through a recurring shoulder injury and was embroiled in a cocaine scandal days after Damian Keogh stood down as Sharks chairman following his arrest for drug possession.
The 21-year-old was still emotional in recalling the pain the saga inflicted upon him.
“Huge,” he says of the effect it had on his life.
“It was a hard time. I was living in Sydney at the time on my own … it impacted on my family just as much as it impacted on me.”
There he pauses, seeming shaken.
“I just put it down to being young and stupid at the time but I have definitely learnt my lesson there and I’m just so sorry for everything that happened,” Savage continues.
He adds some sage advice for any young footballer heading to the bright lights.
“Just don’t put yourself in that situation, just try to stay away from all that kind of stuff,” says the New Zealandborn Palm Beach Currumbin product.
“If you want to play footy, then the two (drugs and football) just don’t go together.”
Savage returned to the Gold Coast to link up with Burleigh, where he played under-11s to under-17s, for the 2018 pre-season.
Troubles aside, he loved life in the professional rugby league system at the Sharks and dreams of returning.
Key figures at the Bears have been impressed by Savage to the point he was promoted to captain their Agrade side before forcing his way into their table-topping Intrust Super Cup squad.
Savage described the chance to play ISC as “unbelievable”.
“I’m just happy to be back playing footy,” he said.