Years, not Weeks for new Wallaby
* Iain Payten
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* May 31, 2010 12:00AM
LAURIE Weeks has learned a thing or two about persistence.
It's a necessity when your path takes you from Marrickville and housing commission flats through to the Wallabies. As a tighthead prop, particularly, it's not a well-trodden route.
"I just realised you have to work harder. That's what you have to do to get ahead," Weeks said yesterday.
Glancing at Weeks' background - St Joseph's College, Sydney University - you might get the idea the 24-year-old's journey has been the cookie-cutter standard of numerous Wallabies before him. You'd be wrong.
Raised in the non-glamorous pockets of Sydney's Inner West, Weeks aspired to be a rugby league star until his teacher and junior coach realised the nuggety centre was built for a different game.
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"I grew up in Marrickville and then in Housing Commission over at Lilyfield, running around there with all my mates, who are leaguies," Weeks said.
The deputy principal of Weeks' primary school introduced him to union. With the help of contacts, he helped the youngster get a scholarship to rugby nursery Joeys.
Weeks flourished in the front-row but his old mates were a bit baffled.
"They still don't get it. The first game they watched they were up me for not taking enough hit-ups," Weeks laughs.
Australian schoolboys honours followed in 2003 but the hard work was only just beginning. Weeks couldn't crack Sydney University's first-grade colts team for two years.
"The first colts and the second colts front-rows were the Australian schoolboys from the previous two years," Weeks said.
"In my second year in second colts I scored 25 tries in the season. I don't know what happened there."
Weeks doubled his training efforts, adopted a professional attitude and with the help of Uni stalwarts such as Tim Davidson forced his way up to Uni's first-grade side.
His strength and power shone, and he won a NSW academy contract for 2007 and 2008.
Weeks was on the verge of big things but last year NSW didn't match the Reds' offer of a full-time contract.
"I was disappointed," he said. "I would have loved to have stayed but I have moved to Brisbane now and enjoyed every minute up there.
"I would have regretted it my whole life if I stayed in Sydney".
The Waratahs must regret letting Weeks go. Starting every match for the Reds last year, he won the Queensland and Australian rookie of the year awards.
In tandem with Ben Daley and Saia Fainga'a, the 114kg prop was rarely beaten this year.
Much of his growth this year has been under the wing of new Reds coach Ewen McKenzie, the man who didn't want him two years earlier at the Waratahs.
"I haven't brought that up but it has crossed my mind a few times," Weeks laughs. "Nah, I get on really well with Ewen. He has been an awesome coach."
Weeks was shocked to be selected for the Wallabies last week - but not as much as mum Christine. He says she is the biggest influence in his life for raising him and his younger sisters Maddie and Missy as a single parent.
"When I rang her she was teaching a [kindergarten] class, and she started crying on the phone," Weeks said.
Things have changed for Weeks. He is in the Wallabies squad and his days of being overlooked by coaches have changed. He was the very first player Melbourne Rebels signed for 2011.
His next goal is the Wallabies No. 3 jersey, but Weeks has time. Persistence pays, right?
"Exactly," he said. "I say that to a lot of guys who are 19 in our Reds academy. Just relax."
but he has retired. The only healthy guys left who played S14 this year were in the 2009 U20 squad: Kirkpatrick, Charles and Whittaker who are now only 20 or 21 years old. Fainga'a and Edmonds were the last men standing - almost literally.
