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PAT POLITONI LOOKS FOR CONSISTENCY
By Wayne Cousins
27/12/2010 7:45:40 PM
Pat Politoni knows only too well that opportunities can’t be wasted.
The 19-year-old ‘utility’ player from the Wests Tigers U20s team is a hard marker on himself. He knows season 2010 was a case of one step forward, one step backwards, both personally and for the team, under coach Grant Jones.
“I didn’t play to the best of my ability this season,’’ Politoni admitted.
“ At times, I did play really well but I wasn’t as consistent as I wanted to be. I put it down to my pre-season. I didn’t train as hard as I could have. I paid the price because I didn’t play in the first few games of the season.
“It was the wake up call that I needed. Once I got stuck in to training, I started to play some of my best footy for the year.”
Politoni played 19 matches this year, a big step up from 2009 where he played four matches after progressing from the Balmain SG Ball team.
Like most SG Ball players who graduate to the Toyota Cup, Politoni took time to find his feet.
“The hardest part is staying focused mentally over 26 rounds,’’ he said.
“ In SG Ball, you play nine rounds and then play finals if you make it. At that level, you are still keen to play every week. That’s half the battle, the mental side. It is not the physical side of playing every week. It does take time to get used to.”
A smart attacking player and handy goal-kicker, Politoni doesn’t mind the ‘utility tag’ but welcomes the challenge of fighting for his preferred spot of hooker alongside close friend Dean Parata.
Both are now training with the NRL squad over summer and are enjoying the opportunity of soaking up as much knowledge as possible from the hardened first grade players.
“Every team now needs a utility player so it is pretty good for me,’’ Politoni said.
“I still have a year left in the U20s so hopefully I can show my ability there and play my best footy. I realise now I must train hard. I’m not looking to play NRL in 2011 but if it comes along, it will be a nice bonus.
“It is good to have that strong competition going with Dean as it pushes us. But at the end of the day, it comes down to the coach and who he feels best suits the team.
“Dean and I played the majority of 2010 together. He started and I came off the bench and it worked pretty well. Good luck to Dean. We just have to wait and see what happens.”
Politoni is recovering well from off-season surgery to his left shoulder and is keen to resume training in January where he will closely watch the preparation of club captain and hooker Robbie Farah.
“When I do my video work, I always make sure I watch game highlights of Robbie Farah to see what he does,’’ Politoni said.
“One thing I need to get up is my fitness. You watch Robbie and he is an 80 minute player who always has plenty of energy. He is a smart player. Not only can he run but he looks for that second phase play or looks to offload. This is something I have to keep working on. I will keep watching Robbie to learn from him and I’m not afraid to ask him for advice.
“When I got the opportunity to come up to the NRL squad, I didn’t think twice. I signed straight away.
“Just to train with the likes of Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall is like a dream come true. I have always looked up to these guys and the Tigers were my team growing up.I’m having a great time.”
By Wayne Cousins
27/12/2010 7:45:40 PM
Pat Politoni knows only too well that opportunities can’t be wasted.
The 19-year-old ‘utility’ player from the Wests Tigers U20s team is a hard marker on himself. He knows season 2010 was a case of one step forward, one step backwards, both personally and for the team, under coach Grant Jones.
“I didn’t play to the best of my ability this season,’’ Politoni admitted.
“ At times, I did play really well but I wasn’t as consistent as I wanted to be. I put it down to my pre-season. I didn’t train as hard as I could have. I paid the price because I didn’t play in the first few games of the season.
“It was the wake up call that I needed. Once I got stuck in to training, I started to play some of my best footy for the year.”
Politoni played 19 matches this year, a big step up from 2009 where he played four matches after progressing from the Balmain SG Ball team.
Like most SG Ball players who graduate to the Toyota Cup, Politoni took time to find his feet.
“The hardest part is staying focused mentally over 26 rounds,’’ he said.
“ In SG Ball, you play nine rounds and then play finals if you make it. At that level, you are still keen to play every week. That’s half the battle, the mental side. It is not the physical side of playing every week. It does take time to get used to.”
A smart attacking player and handy goal-kicker, Politoni doesn’t mind the ‘utility tag’ but welcomes the challenge of fighting for his preferred spot of hooker alongside close friend Dean Parata.
Both are now training with the NRL squad over summer and are enjoying the opportunity of soaking up as much knowledge as possible from the hardened first grade players.
“Every team now needs a utility player so it is pretty good for me,’’ Politoni said.
“I still have a year left in the U20s so hopefully I can show my ability there and play my best footy. I realise now I must train hard. I’m not looking to play NRL in 2011 but if it comes along, it will be a nice bonus.
“It is good to have that strong competition going with Dean as it pushes us. But at the end of the day, it comes down to the coach and who he feels best suits the team.
“Dean and I played the majority of 2010 together. He started and I came off the bench and it worked pretty well. Good luck to Dean. We just have to wait and see what happens.”
Politoni is recovering well from off-season surgery to his left shoulder and is keen to resume training in January where he will closely watch the preparation of club captain and hooker Robbie Farah.
“When I do my video work, I always make sure I watch game highlights of Robbie Farah to see what he does,’’ Politoni said.
“One thing I need to get up is my fitness. You watch Robbie and he is an 80 minute player who always has plenty of energy. He is a smart player. Not only can he run but he looks for that second phase play or looks to offload. This is something I have to keep working on. I will keep watching Robbie to learn from him and I’m not afraid to ask him for advice.
“When I got the opportunity to come up to the NRL squad, I didn’t think twice. I signed straight away.
“Just to train with the likes of Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall is like a dream come true. I have always looked up to these guys and the Tigers were my team growing up.I’m having a great time.”
