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Dreams keep growing for Wests Tigers' Curtis Sironen
Paul Crawley
The Daily Telegraph
April 27, 2013 12:00AM
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CURTIS Sironen was sitting back this week, thinking about tonight's game against the Broncos and the bloke he'll be lining up against.
This is a story that might make you feel old - but for Curtis, it's a dream come true.
Curtis tells you how he was 12 in 2005 when Scott Prince was the Tigers captain.
"Mate, I didn't know him back then, I was just a fan," Curtis says. "But I was there at the game and back at the club after as well.
"I was with my old man so I got my mug in the dressing room after the game. I was just rapt to be in there, looking around at all my heroes."
He says he'll have to be careful he doesn't ask for an autograph when he runs out tonight.
But so much has changed since 2005\. For starters, Curtis has grown.
At 19, he now stands at 195cm and weighs 103kg. And he's still growing.
Remember, Curtis plays five-eighth - perhaps the biggest five-eighth in the history of the game.
"Obviously I have Dad's size, so in the future if I put on too much weight I don't know how long I will be able to hang in the halves," he says.
"But because of my surgery I haven't been able to do too much upper body weights so I still have a few kilos to put on up around my chest and my shoulders.
"I could go to 110kg easy. Easy.
"But if I can stay quick enough I will back my ability to stay in the halves."
Besides, there is another Sironen at home even bigger than Curtis, and he is also a five-eighth.
"I think my little brother has more similarities to Dad in how big and strong he is," Curtis says.
"Bailey is 16 and he is bigger than me. He is not quite as tall as me but he had an ankle injury and he has been doing weights. He is a monster. He is going to be a big boy."
How big?
"He is a monster, and he can hit, too," Curtis says.
"You'll see him coming through and he is the favourite son too because he is tougher.
"I love watching him play because of how tough he is."Curtis says he'd love to play alongside him one day.
"Or against him, that would be fun," he says.
But right now, Curtis is living the dream - and what a dream it's been of late.
A couple of weeks ago he was just coming back from a shoulder reconstruction, his second in as many seasons.
Then after three games in Under-20s, Tigers first grade coach Mick Potter called him in to replace Benji Marshall against the Dragons.
Then after one game he was hauled into the City team.
After just seven NRL games all up, he says he couldn't quite believe it when told he was off to Coffs Harbour.
"I thought I was getting stitched up by Liam Fulton because he does that sort of crap," Curtis laughs.
But he spoke to City coach Brad Fittler, who confirmed this was no gee-up.
Then he remembers looking over at his old man, Paul.
"It was unreal, mate," he says. "I know there were circumstances behind how I got my go but it was still my first rep jersey.
"I was humbled. I saw my old man straight away and he was pretty shocked, too.
"He didn't say anything, he just sort of laughed. Like, 'What's doing?'"
You can only imagine the pride the old Tiger must have been feeling to see this day arrive for his eldest son.
"I do remember my old man's last game," he says.
"I think I was five, it was at Leichhardt and they got towelled up by the Roosters.
"I played all my junior footy through Balmain and that's what I bled, I bled Balmain."
And after playing for City at just 19, who knows where this story will go from here.
"Mate, as a kid State of Origin was the pinnacle," he says, like a young man not yet afraid to talk aloud about his dreams.
"I'm not looking in the too near future but down the road, State of Origin would be a dream. Yeah, it is a long-term goal of mine. It is."
But for now he just wants to stay fit. And surely after two shoulder reconstructions Curtis is due for a change of luck.
"You know, you go through six months of rehab, you bust your arse," he says. "And then for it to come out again, especially when I was just starting to get a bit of confidence.
"Mate, I was devastated to go through it all again.
"But I put in that much work now I am confident in my shoulder. I know how hard I have worked.
"I will just have to continue to do that.
"Probably through the rest of my career I will always have dodgy shoulders but, mate, I can live with that.
"I will be happy to get through another 20 or so games with the Tigers under my belt and then I will think of the future."
Paul Crawley
The Daily Telegraph
April 27, 2013 12:00AM
\
\
CURTIS Sironen was sitting back this week, thinking about tonight's game against the Broncos and the bloke he'll be lining up against.
This is a story that might make you feel old - but for Curtis, it's a dream come true.
Curtis tells you how he was 12 in 2005 when Scott Prince was the Tigers captain.
"Mate, I didn't know him back then, I was just a fan," Curtis says. "But I was there at the game and back at the club after as well.
"I was with my old man so I got my mug in the dressing room after the game. I was just rapt to be in there, looking around at all my heroes."
He says he'll have to be careful he doesn't ask for an autograph when he runs out tonight.
But so much has changed since 2005\. For starters, Curtis has grown.
At 19, he now stands at 195cm and weighs 103kg. And he's still growing.
Remember, Curtis plays five-eighth - perhaps the biggest five-eighth in the history of the game.
"Obviously I have Dad's size, so in the future if I put on too much weight I don't know how long I will be able to hang in the halves," he says.
"But because of my surgery I haven't been able to do too much upper body weights so I still have a few kilos to put on up around my chest and my shoulders.
"I could go to 110kg easy. Easy.
"But if I can stay quick enough I will back my ability to stay in the halves."
Besides, there is another Sironen at home even bigger than Curtis, and he is also a five-eighth.
"I think my little brother has more similarities to Dad in how big and strong he is," Curtis says.
"Bailey is 16 and he is bigger than me. He is not quite as tall as me but he had an ankle injury and he has been doing weights. He is a monster. He is going to be a big boy."
How big?
"He is a monster, and he can hit, too," Curtis says.
"You'll see him coming through and he is the favourite son too because he is tougher.
"I love watching him play because of how tough he is."Curtis says he'd love to play alongside him one day.
"Or against him, that would be fun," he says.
But right now, Curtis is living the dream - and what a dream it's been of late.
A couple of weeks ago he was just coming back from a shoulder reconstruction, his second in as many seasons.
Then after three games in Under-20s, Tigers first grade coach Mick Potter called him in to replace Benji Marshall against the Dragons.
Then after one game he was hauled into the City team.
After just seven NRL games all up, he says he couldn't quite believe it when told he was off to Coffs Harbour.
"I thought I was getting stitched up by Liam Fulton because he does that sort of crap," Curtis laughs.
But he spoke to City coach Brad Fittler, who confirmed this was no gee-up.
Then he remembers looking over at his old man, Paul.
"It was unreal, mate," he says. "I know there were circumstances behind how I got my go but it was still my first rep jersey.
"I was humbled. I saw my old man straight away and he was pretty shocked, too.
"He didn't say anything, he just sort of laughed. Like, 'What's doing?'"
You can only imagine the pride the old Tiger must have been feeling to see this day arrive for his eldest son.
"I do remember my old man's last game," he says.
"I think I was five, it was at Leichhardt and they got towelled up by the Roosters.
"I played all my junior footy through Balmain and that's what I bled, I bled Balmain."
And after playing for City at just 19, who knows where this story will go from here.
"Mate, as a kid State of Origin was the pinnacle," he says, like a young man not yet afraid to talk aloud about his dreams.
"I'm not looking in the too near future but down the road, State of Origin would be a dream. Yeah, it is a long-term goal of mine. It is."
But for now he just wants to stay fit. And surely after two shoulder reconstructions Curtis is due for a change of luck.
"You know, you go through six months of rehab, you bust your arse," he says. "And then for it to come out again, especially when I was just starting to get a bit of confidence.
"Mate, I was devastated to go through it all again.
"But I put in that much work now I am confident in my shoulder. I know how hard I have worked.
"I will just have to continue to do that.
"Probably through the rest of my career I will always have dodgy shoulders but, mate, I can live with that.
"I will be happy to get through another 20 or so games with the Tigers under my belt and then I will think of the future."
