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LIKE Benny Elias, Robbie Farah has the Lebanese heritage, is a fan favourite at the Wests Tigers, and plays hooker with plenty of aggression and spark.
But sadly, unlike Elias, Farah is yet to enjoy the same amount of success at Origin level.
In fact, Farah would settle for half the amount of glory Elias enjoyed during his 19 games for the Blues.
Before he was presented with his No.9 jumper by none other than Elias last night, Farah said: "Benny achieved a massive amount in the game, and if I can achieve half of what he did on the rep scene, I'll be pretty happy with the career I finish with. I had the chance a few years ago and I gave my (Blues) jersey up.
"This time around I'll be doing everything to hold on to the jersey and make sure I'm around here and having a part in a winning Blues culture for a few years to come."
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It took Farah just 73 minutes in Origin I to go from fringe player to one of the first picked by NSW coach Ricky Stuart for tomorrow night's match-up with Queensland at ANZ Stadium.
Rival rakes Danny Buderus and Michael Ennis could be waiting a while to get their shot to play for the Blues.
Farah, 28, said he still spoke with Elias, and would be foolish to ignore his advice.
"This year before Origin I he rang me and told me little things about my game," Farah said. "It's always good to hear, especially from a player of his calibre. He doesn't call regularly, but when he does I take it on board."
Origin special section: Keep up to date with all the news
Click here for Boo Bailey's bios of the NSW team
Elias said Farah had really taken his game to the next level in the past five weeks, and hoped he could follow in his footsteps and enjoy a long reign as Blues hooker. "I think he's matured a lot the last few years, and he's realised what he needs to do in big-game situations," Elias said.
"He's the leader of a high-profile club, and I think he's welcomed the responsibility that comes with that. And he's had the support from the New Zealand captain, Benji Marshall, as well as the Australian coach and his club coach, Tim Sheens. He wasn't playing out of his skin at the start of the year, and he'll be the first to admit that, but the last five weeks he's just got better and better."
Asked what he planned to say to Farah last night, where the 1985 victorious Blues team presented the jumpers to the current squad, Elias said: "I'll tell him when you slip on that jumper at 7.45pm, everyone you have associated with your whole life will be watching. Politicians, heads of the business world, thugs … everybody living in NSW will be watching Origin." Elias said if the Blues triumphed, it would make it easy for Stuart to continue to select Farah.
Farah said the Tigers' run of seven straight NRL wins had put him at ease and let him focus. He said had the Tigers struggled, it would have weighed on his mind.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nsw-hooker-robbie-farah-determined-to-be-part-of-a-winning-blues-outfit-for-years-to-come/story-e6frexv9-1226392396063
But sadly, unlike Elias, Farah is yet to enjoy the same amount of success at Origin level.
In fact, Farah would settle for half the amount of glory Elias enjoyed during his 19 games for the Blues.
Before he was presented with his No.9 jumper by none other than Elias last night, Farah said: "Benny achieved a massive amount in the game, and if I can achieve half of what he did on the rep scene, I'll be pretty happy with the career I finish with. I had the chance a few years ago and I gave my (Blues) jersey up.
"This time around I'll be doing everything to hold on to the jersey and make sure I'm around here and having a part in a winning Blues culture for a few years to come."
\
\
\
It took Farah just 73 minutes in Origin I to go from fringe player to one of the first picked by NSW coach Ricky Stuart for tomorrow night's match-up with Queensland at ANZ Stadium.
Rival rakes Danny Buderus and Michael Ennis could be waiting a while to get their shot to play for the Blues.
Farah, 28, said he still spoke with Elias, and would be foolish to ignore his advice.
"This year before Origin I he rang me and told me little things about my game," Farah said. "It's always good to hear, especially from a player of his calibre. He doesn't call regularly, but when he does I take it on board."
Origin special section: Keep up to date with all the news
Click here for Boo Bailey's bios of the NSW team
Elias said Farah had really taken his game to the next level in the past five weeks, and hoped he could follow in his footsteps and enjoy a long reign as Blues hooker. "I think he's matured a lot the last few years, and he's realised what he needs to do in big-game situations," Elias said.
"He's the leader of a high-profile club, and I think he's welcomed the responsibility that comes with that. And he's had the support from the New Zealand captain, Benji Marshall, as well as the Australian coach and his club coach, Tim Sheens. He wasn't playing out of his skin at the start of the year, and he'll be the first to admit that, but the last five weeks he's just got better and better."
Asked what he planned to say to Farah last night, where the 1985 victorious Blues team presented the jumpers to the current squad, Elias said: "I'll tell him when you slip on that jumper at 7.45pm, everyone you have associated with your whole life will be watching. Politicians, heads of the business world, thugs … everybody living in NSW will be watching Origin." Elias said if the Blues triumphed, it would make it easy for Stuart to continue to select Farah.
Farah said the Tigers' run of seven straight NRL wins had put him at ease and let him focus. He said had the Tigers struggled, it would have weighed on his mind.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nsw-hooker-robbie-farah-determined-to-be-part-of-a-winning-blues-outfit-for-years-to-come/story-e6frexv9-1226392396063
