Power of work goes to waste
THIS was set to be the year of Temone Power.
After his first pre-season with the Cowboys, the 25year-old was the fittest he had ever been.
But the Townsville Blackhawks forward only had one game to showcase his newfound physique before coronavirus cancelled the Intrust Super Cup for 2020.
Against the Ipswich Jets he made 113 running metres and 25 tackles, for no misses.
The lack of missed tackles illustrated the growth the Bowen product had undergone with the Cowboys.
Working alongside veterans of his position, such as Maroons stalwart Gavin Cooper, showed Power the off-the-ball traits he needs if he wants to figure in NRL squad calculations.
“I picked the minds of all the veterans up there, seeing how all the NRL boys do it,” Power said. “It was the little one-percenter things, it’s what Gav’s best at – the things people don’t see much. Making the tackles last a big longer and the little things you do. There’s a few tricks there.
“I think that’s the one thing negative out of this: after that pre-season I was the fittest I have been. It was a bit of a let-down. I’m getting a bit older now.”
Life away from the game has been about finding the positives for Power. And in 12 weeks those positives will be euphoric.
The dynamic backrower and his partner are expecting their first child, and they have been living in Bowen with family since the COVID-19 restrictions began to take effect.
That has perhaps been the only blessing to come out of the hiatus for Power.
Instead of constantly travelling with the Blackhawks, he has not missed a beat in birth preparations.
While he admits to missing his Blackhawks teammates and plans to return next year, Power said his future league ambitions would depend on how he felt once his child came into the world.
From there, he or she would be his priority.
“I’m excited, it’s nice and close so most of my thoughts are there (and) I don’t miss it, I get to be here every weekend,” Power said.
“It all depends once these restrictions come down and what the Blackhawks do (where my football goes). We just have to wait until everything is cleared over … I’ll see what happens after this kid comes and see where my head’s at.
“There’s nothing you can really do about it; you just think of the positives – at least everyone I know is healthy.”