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CLARKE ENJOYING LIFE AT WESTS TIGERS
By Wayne Cousins
17/01/2011 10:07:12 AM
When it comes to enthusiasm, Jake Clarke has an abundance of it.
One of the bright young centre prospects at Wests Tigers, Clarke ‘loves every minute’ of his time at Concord Oval. He “‘loves coming to training” and seeing his team-mates and being a part of Wests Tigers.
The 20-year-old is now preparing for his first taste of senior football in 2011 after scoring 10 tries in 24 appearances last season for Wests Tigers in the Toyota Cup competition.
He scored eight tries in 26 games the previous year in which Wests Tigers were beaten grand finalists.
A controversial loss to the Gold Coast Titans in the final round at Skilled Park last season denied Wests Tigers a finals berth and signalled the end of Clarke’s time in the U20s.
“We were very unlucky not to have made the finals in that last game against the Titans. It was a very tough loss to take as all of the boys put in so much,’’ Clarke reflected.
“We were on the end of a dodgy call and it all went against us. The Titans got us in the last minute.
“Looking back though, it should have never got down to that last match. We lost quite a few games by only a few points and Jake Mullaney’s goal-kicking made such a difference to our team. He would also score a couple of tries per game so losing him to a hamstring injury really hurt in the end.”
A member of the Wests Tigers summer squad, Clarke is focusing on improving his game and trying to cement a starting position in the Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers State Cup team.
He is also enjoying the opportunity to learn from and train alongside established NRL centres Chris Lawrence and Blake Ayshford.
“I am working hard on my attack in terms of the lines I run and being able to beat players one on one,’’ Clarke said
“Chris Lawrence runs great lines and is a player who I can look up to. It is the same with Blake Ayshford who has great footwork.
“Training with the NRL players is a massive step up. There is more intensity and it can only benefit young players like me as you do get bigger and fitter. There is more talk as well at training so you can’t be shy around the senior players.
“I played in the Wests Tigers NRL trial at Mackay last year and am hoping to get a crack at the first trial in Townsville against the Cowboys next month.”
By Wayne Cousins
17/01/2011 10:07:12 AM
When it comes to enthusiasm, Jake Clarke has an abundance of it.
One of the bright young centre prospects at Wests Tigers, Clarke ‘loves every minute’ of his time at Concord Oval. He “‘loves coming to training” and seeing his team-mates and being a part of Wests Tigers.
The 20-year-old is now preparing for his first taste of senior football in 2011 after scoring 10 tries in 24 appearances last season for Wests Tigers in the Toyota Cup competition.
He scored eight tries in 26 games the previous year in which Wests Tigers were beaten grand finalists.
A controversial loss to the Gold Coast Titans in the final round at Skilled Park last season denied Wests Tigers a finals berth and signalled the end of Clarke’s time in the U20s.
“We were very unlucky not to have made the finals in that last game against the Titans. It was a very tough loss to take as all of the boys put in so much,’’ Clarke reflected.
“We were on the end of a dodgy call and it all went against us. The Titans got us in the last minute.
“Looking back though, it should have never got down to that last match. We lost quite a few games by only a few points and Jake Mullaney’s goal-kicking made such a difference to our team. He would also score a couple of tries per game so losing him to a hamstring injury really hurt in the end.”
A member of the Wests Tigers summer squad, Clarke is focusing on improving his game and trying to cement a starting position in the Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers State Cup team.
He is also enjoying the opportunity to learn from and train alongside established NRL centres Chris Lawrence and Blake Ayshford.
“I am working hard on my attack in terms of the lines I run and being able to beat players one on one,’’ Clarke said
“Chris Lawrence runs great lines and is a player who I can look up to. It is the same with Blake Ayshford who has great footwork.
“Training with the NRL players is a massive step up. There is more intensity and it can only benefit young players like me as you do get bigger and fitter. There is more talk as well at training so you can’t be shy around the senior players.
“I played in the Wests Tigers NRL trial at Mackay last year and am hoping to get a crack at the first trial in Townsville against the Cowboys next month.”
