Huxley one step closer to a return

[Brumby Jack]

Julian Huxley is a step closer to a return to Rugby after suffering a brain tumor and reports suggest he is likely to play for the Brumby Runners in the very near future.

Meetings with Huxley's personal doctors and medical staff along with legal representatives from the Brumbies and ARU have been held in recent times to give Huxley the medical clearance he requires to return to the field. If the necessary clearance can be obtained in the next 48 hours then he could make a return in the Brumby Runners curtain raiser clah against the Australian Barbarians this Friday night.

 

[Spook]

Great news for him and I hope there is no risk of damage. I bet he kicks out on the full though quite a few times outside his 22.

 

[Ruggo]

Good stuff. I wish him all the best. :yay :yay :yay

 

[Viking]

Great news for him and I hope there is no risk of damage. I bet he kicks out on the full though quite a few times outside his 22.

I thought he was the kicking coach at the brumbies. He always had a great torpedo. And id expect he would have been doing A LOT of kicking practise while he was of field. I recon the only decent thing he will do will be kick until he gets some game time up again!

 

[chief]

Gee, I hope he actually has recovered. Pretty concerning for things like this to happen and for a player to return to the place which nearly may have cost him a lot more then a rugby career. Wish the best though

 

[Spook]

Great news for him and I hope there is no risk of damage. I bet he kicks out on the full though quite a few times outside his 22.

I thought he was the kicking coach at the brumbies. He always had a great torpedo. And id expect he would have been doing A LOT of kicking practise while he was of field. I recon the only decent thing he will do will be kick until he gets some game time up again!

He's got a decent general play kicking games but I've never seen a bloke put so many restarts out on the full.

 

[Lee Grant]

I saw him at the Brumbies/Tahs trial and he looked as fit as a trout.

 

[fatprop]

OK .......................

One would assume he received a medical payout for his "career ending" injury that would have to be returned.

And the Brumbies would have to ensure their current insurer will provide coverage for him.

Good luck to the guy, but everyone concerned will have to be very sure before this happens.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Lee,

He has been training like a player in the gym and in fitness. I saw him doing some kicking drills and he was kicking to them on the chest from 40m away without them having to move.

The Brumbies have done well by including him in all aspects of being in the squad. At the season launch they even introduced him with the playing group as a player, not as a member of the support staff.

 

[Newb]

Lee,

He has been training like a player in the gym and in fitness. I saw him doing some kicking drills and he was kicking to them on the chest from 40m away without them having to move.

The Brumbies have done well by including him in all aspects of being in the squad. At the season launch they even introduced him with the playing group as a player, not as a member of the support staff.

sounds like a real sense of family there. no wonder everyone signed up to play in canberra.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Huxley comeback is basically a done deal. There are few loose ends to tie up but it should mean he will make his comeback in Sundays Brumby Runners v Junior Waratahs clash at Knox Grammar.

Julian Huxley's miraculous return to rugby union could be confirmed as early as this morning.

The Canberra Times understands Huxley's legal team and the ACT Brumbies' lawyers have come to a mutual agreement on insurance and medical issues surrounding his clearance.

Once all parties Huxley, the Brumbies and the Australian Rugby Union sign off on the contracts, the utility back will be permitted to resume his career.

The 30-year-old has not played rugby since being diagnosed with a brain tumour in March 2008.

Most expected Huxley would never return to playing, given the risks involved surrounding any possible comeback.

But after months of legal meetings, a resolution now appears imminent.

Should his clearance be granted today or even later this week, Huxley would play for the Brumby Runners against the Junior Waratahs at Sydney's Knox Grammar on Sunday.

He could be playing for the ACT Brumbies again at Super 14 level as early as the following weekend.

 

[RugbyReg]

he's playing today

Huxley return headlines Brumby Runners line-up

CA Brumbies fullback Julian Huxley will make his return to rugby today for the Brumby Runners when they take on the Junior Waratahs at Sydney’s Knox Grammar School.



Huxley’s rugby career was postponed in 2008 after routine scans following a head knock detected a brain tumour. The nine-Test Wallaby has pursued a clearance for the past two years, which was realised today, allowing him to take his place for the Runners.



The 30-year-old will start at fullback as one of 11 CA Brumbies in the run-on XV. Hooker Huia Edmonds, prop Guy Shepherdson, lock Justin Harrison, centre Tyrone Smith, and flyhalf Matt To'omua will back up for the Runners after starting off the bench in the CA Brumbies match against the Sharks on Saturday night.



Lock Sitaleki Timani, flanker Henry Vanderglas and winger Alfi Mafi remain the other members of the run-on side with Investec Bank Super 14 experience.



The Runners will feature an all-Brumbies Academy bench, including Jono Owen and Hugh Pyle, who both started against the Junior Waratahs when the sides last met.



The ACT side will be looking to reverse the 40-10 loss that occurred during the sides’ last fixture at Viking Park last month.



PLEASE NOTE: Julian Huxley will be available for interview on the conclusion of the match. Audio of the interview will be available on request – please contact Nick Smith on n.smith@brumbies.com.au



Brumby Runners v Junior Waratahs

Knox Grammar School, Wahroonga, Sydney

Sunday, 14 March 2010

Kick-off: 3pm



Brumby Runners

Jerry Yanuyanutawa
Huia Edmonds
Guy Shepherdson
Justin Harrison
Sitaleki Timani
Colby Fainga'a
Michael Hooper
Henry Vanderglas
Anthony Dawes
Matt To'omua
Alfi Mafi
Tyrone Smith
Andrew Smith
Jesse Mogg
Julian Huxley


Reserves

Anthony Hegarty
Chris Barbaro
Jono Owen
Liam Winton
Hugh Pyle
Jesse Parahi
Ita Vaea
Luke Evans
Jimmy Ambrosini
Nua Alone
Tyler Stevens

 

[Ruggo]

Well done Huxley.

Inspirational stuff for sure and congratulations.

 

[James Buchanan]

Anyone get to see the game?

Any comments?

 

[en_force_er]

Julian Huxley makes accomplished return to rugby after brain tumour

March 14, 2010
Julian Huxley expressed a desire to regain his Brumbies and Wallabies positions after making an accomplished return to rugby, two years after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Huxley, 30, set up three tries and ran, passed and kicked with assurance in the Brumby Runners' 36-16 win over the Junior Waratahs at Knox Grammar School in Sydney's northern suburbs.

Playing at fullback, Huxley completed an entire 80 minute game, his first since he was diagnosed with the tumour after undergoing a routine check following a head knock he suffered while playing for the Brumbies against the Reds in March 2008.

Huxley, who played nine Tests for Australia in 2007, had the tumour removed and underwent six weeks of radiation and six months of chemotherapy, but kept training throughout that period.

He received the final clearance to resume playing on Saturday morning when he signed documents at the home of Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan.

"I've been training very hard and it's not something I woke up two weeks and said `I want to play footy'," Huxley said.

"I've been in good shape, if I say so myself, for a good six months now and even a year ago I had a tilt at trying to play and we couldn't get out there.

"But I've been fit and never let my fitness drop to a point where it was too hard to get back.

"I felt able to compete out there in the hard stuff and I was maybe a bit tentative at times.

"I was happy with my skills and vision .... I don't think that stuff really leaves you, it's just the timing on your hits and that sort of stuff."

Huxley, who hoped his experiences would help youngsters with similar health issues, said he felt no nerves on his comeback and just tried to play on auto pilot.

Fagan admitted to a little nervousness when Huxley fell to the ground from what the player described as "a bit of a late shot", but stressed the fullback had taken harder knocks at training.

Huxley was also on the receiving end of a big bump from huge Waratahs' winger Nemani Nadolo.

Huxley was adamant it was safe for him to return to rugby and emphasised he wouldn't have resumed playing if he didn't feel he could be at least as good, if not better, than in the past.

Asked if that meant he had aspirations to again represent Australia, Huxley responded: "I may as well admit it, of course.

"Whether that happens or not, I'm comfortable with the fact that I'm giving it a go and that's all you can do in life.

"Whether the game has moved on, it might have, but I think I can be a better player just because of how much more relaxed a person I am."

Huxley said his next game would be for their Academy side against a Canberra club outfit next week.

"Seeing him out here today was really quite surreal, it looked like he hadn't been two weeks out of the game let alone two years out of the game, it reminded us why two years ago he was the Wallaby fullback," Fagan said.

Huxley played pretty well. So congratulations to him.

Also, Junior Tahs fail to complete winning season. Shame for them I suppose.

 

[Viking]

Very good stuff to hear. But what are the chances that Huxley will start a brumbies game by the end of the season? Will he really be good enough to force AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to move positions? IMO i hope so, n i hope that move incorporiates AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to 13.

 

[Lee Grant]

The Brumby Runners thrashed the Junior Waratahs today 36-16 to end their unbeaten run, reversing a similar score against them a few weeks ago..

The main news though is about Runners 15. Julian Huxley. It is not often I swear on the forum but he was fucking fantastic. It's as though he was a guy in the 1sts who had time out and had a run in the 3rds to get match fitness. Just about everything he did had a result, including running through the JWs about 3 times as though he was covered in snakes and spiders and setting up tries. Another was a chip to himself and an offload – try.

MOTM for sure. It was as though he could walk into the Brumbes team next week to play the Blues – at a different level, I know.

As for the game: it was a top game of rugby. It was fairly even at half time but the Runners seemed fitter than the home team and were too strong in the second half. They also appeared to be better coached. Too many times there seemed to be overlaps for the Runners out left and 11. Mafi and 13. A. Smith had a field day being orchestrated by Huxley.

The JWs also seemed to be out muscled in the rucks including being outnumbered, though why this should happen whilst being out-numbered out wide escaped me.

In addition to Huxley his partners in crime, Alfi Mafi and Andrew Smith, both looked like slumming Super14 players. Smith embarrassed JW 13 Sidey a couple of times, once to score, and Alfi was hard to stop on every run.. To'omua had a top game too underwritten by holding the ball in front of him in both hands and running for the line a few times.

I was interested to see who had the lead in the race to succeed George Smith. Colby Fainga'a looked better at Viking Park when I saw him there but Michael Hooper, just out of school, took the honours today – though both were good. On one move CF grubbed for Hoops who showed good pace to pick it up near touch, he passed it to Jerry Y who alley ooped it to somebody and it went wide the other way to Huxley who administered the 5 pointer on the other side of the field. What a great try. It wasn't the only good run Hooper had either.

The JWs didn't have so may good players but srummie Brendan McKibbin was a standout. He will walk into the Rebels starting spot on that form, and he struck the ball well when kicking for goal.

I was looking for last year's schoolboys Greg Peterson, the Vickerman type lock, and Jake Woodhouse, the Burke type fullback (who played on the wing). They both played OK, but neither had a long stint. Watch this space.

NN had a few good runs which made the crowd murmur and tested Huxley once, but Hux got his head on the ball and it popped out – the ball, that is. Nice of NN to test Huxley's noggin for him. The thing is though: the ball popped out a lot when the big fella went to ground.

It's hard to know why the JWs have been undefeated until now as they were back pedalling so much in the 2nd half. Their scrums were good but their lineout was woeful mainly through bad throwing. Mostly they lacked commitment and passion compared to the ACT lads.

 

[TheRiddler]

Hi Lee, I was at the game as well and thought Huxley was outstanding. Other players to impress me were the Brumbies No. 8 and their replacement lock wearing 18. I didnt have a team sheet so not sure who they were. Agree with your comments about the breakdown, the Brumbies simply appeared to be up for it a whole lot more and were much more physical. McCaffrey and my boy Alcock were very much outdone. In the end, the JWs ran out of back rowers and had to bring back on no. 5 (Dylan Sigg??) to fill the gap.

Also though the old man Harrisson had a great game and seemed to very much enjoying his rugby. I made a quip about his age at one stage to which he smiled and then proceeded to setup a try!!

Unless my eyes were misleading me, I couldnt see any sign of the Dud! Is he injured or dropped out of the reckoning altogether at the moment?

 

[Lindommer]

...I couldnt see any sign of the Dud! Is he injured or dropped out of the reckoning altogether at the moment?

Injured. Endosmy..., whatever.

 

[en_force_er]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/video/0,,Rugby News_28264,00.html

A video up on Foxsports on the game. Has some game footage and a Q&A with Hux.