matty_k
Peter Johnson (47)
Kane feeds on appetite for rugby
Daily Examiner - 10th June 2010 said:
KANE Douglas’s love of the buffet dinner is likely to grow stronger if the Yamba behemoth’s appetite for rugby progress continues.
Speaking to the Examiner following Tuesday’s 25-minute Barbarians cameo appearance against England in Perth, Douglas admitted the evolution from promising junior to potential international has taken its toll in the kitchen.
The 21-year-old has spent the past few months packing into scrums all over the world for the Waratahs in the Super 14.
And it has left his cooking getting cold while his rugby career is on the boil.
“I haven’t cooked dinner at home for about two months,” said Douglas, who admits he is looked after by the club’s buffet chef.
“I know a couple of dishes at home.
“But (Sharks NRL player and Kane’s brother) Luke does most of that (cooking), and my little brother has just moved in and is not bad.”
Starting 2010 as a fringe NSW squad member – and with a goal to play five Super 14 matches – the lock’s form proved so strong he clinched a regular starting berth.
The form catapulted Douglas into the Barbarians match, which included both established national stars and the latest batch of hopefuls from the ARU’s production line.
He now sits one senior player injury away from a Wallaby call-up.
“I’m probably a year off, and I have got some good players in front of me,” said Douglas, who attributed the work of Australia forward coach Michael Foley for his development.
“I didn’t get that much time (against England), but you have to take every opportunity as it comes.
“I didn’t get into the match as I would have liked and it was pretty much an international game.
“I didn’t really have a schedule or a plan (for my career), but it (a Wallaby jersey) is not as far away as I thought.”
In a breakthrough season for Douglas, a trip to some intimidating South African grounds sits notable on his highlights reel.
Even the Waratahs’ semi-final appearance couldn’t overshadow the daunting matches in Durban and Johannesburg.
“It would have been a bit better (season) if we had won the last game against the Hurricanes,” Douglas said.
“But the highlight was playing overseas. The grounds in South Africa are awesome.
“The crowd is so loud you can’t hear yourself think.”
The Barbarians play one more contest – a return stoush with England in Sydney on June 19 – which Douglas hopes to be a part of.
But the laidback youngster said he was just as happy to return to playing footy – and eating home dinners – with his clubmates at Southern Districts.
“It’s good to hang out with some of those guys a bit,” he said.
“I’d like to help them to a few more wins – they have won about nine in a row at the start of the season.”
