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WARATAH Tigers star five-eighth Ben Jeffery will not return to the club in 2011 after being signed to play for NSW Cup team Wests Magpies this week.Jeffery left for Sydney yesterday, and will begin training for the West Tigers feeder club immediately, after a last-minute decision to return to professional rugby league.
While originally deciding to stay on at Griffith’s 2010 premier club for another year, the Barry Hailes Medal winner decided he wanted to give the NRL another shot after recruiters called him up last Friday.
“He had decided about a month ago he was going to stay here but he got another call on Friday,” Jeffery’s father Steve said. “I don’t think he expected they’d keep ringing him, so he decided to go back down and give it a fair dinkum go.”
Returning to his junior club this year after a stint in the Wests Tigers and Gold Coast Titans, Jeffrey was instrumental in helping the club go all the way and beat arch-rivals Yenda Blueheelers at the grand final in September.
But the local premiers will have to make do without him next year as the former Wests Tigers winger sets his sights on once again butting heads with the best league players in the country.
While Jeffery will be playing for Wests Tigers’ feeder club Wests Magpies for now, father Steve believes he’ll soon be back in first grade.
"Watching the Wests Tigers last season, they were
getting knocked around in the backs, I think there’s a few half-back and full-back positions available," Steve said. “It’s something that’s been at the back of his mind I think and I told him if he doesn’t make it he can always come back here but me and his mum are backing him all the way.”
While also being a great opportunity for Jeffery, Steve said it was great for Griffith that another of their talented league players was going to the NRL.
“It’s great for the town and there’s some exceptional talent up here but some of the guys never get the opportunity that he should think himself lucky,” he said.
Waratah Tigers president Ken Wells said the talented player would be sorely missed from their first grade side but hoped to see him back when he finally decided to retire from the NRL.
“He was the best player in Group 20, by head and shoulders, he will be sorely missed at the club but the club and all the supporters and Kodie (Charles, the first grade coach) wish him all the best,” Wells said. “He instilled a lot of confidence in the guys when they ran out next to him and in years to come hopefully he comes back and coaches the kids through.”
The Waratah Tigers will also hold their meet the coaches day and be handing out the reserve and first grade jackets from 3pm on Saturday at the Exies Sporties with all members and supporters welcome.
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This is truly Daniel Fitzhenry all over again! Terrible signing…
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Crikey he’s only signed for the Magpies so don’t lump him into the Fitzfumble category!.
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Handy backup to have in the ranks.
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@Leroy The Tigers Fan:
Crikey he’s only signed for the Magpies so don’t lump him into the Fitzfumble category!.
Haha yeh I suppose that you are probably right, however I’m sure with a matter of time are a couple of injuries Sheens will have him somewhere in the team.
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Nobody ran laps on the sidelines better than Ben!
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our depth just gets better. Okay he might not be starting 17 material,but injuries kick in it nice to have some experience in the lower grades
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can he play fullback
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This guy knows how to get to the tryline. He was an outstanding lower grade player who never quite made it in first grade. I am not sorry to see him have another shot with us.
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This guy knows how to get to the tryline. He was an outstanding lower grade player who never quite made it in first grade. I am not sorry to see him have another shot with us.
Yeh, quite talented and could be a lot worse, I was disappointed when he left- good pick up
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Adds to our depth
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Scored plenty of tries a few seasons back for the Magpies, both Jeffrey and Michael Crockett were generally good for a try every week. He’s also got good speed, he’d blow Ryan away in a foot race and it adds depth to the Tigers outside backs which is a good thing.
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I was disapointed when he left, however his form at the Titans was pretty bloody ordinary, they just didnt have the depth to cover for him so he got a fair bit of game time. Didn’t he debut in the same game as Chris Lawrence in a win against Brisbane at Suncorp? Scored the final try off a Farah grubber.
Reading this article it makes it sound that he is getting on in years and just having his last shot, but the kid is only 23…
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He played his first game against the broncos with lawrence & could add a bit of depth to our club, & would be keen to have a red hot go.
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@william rodgers:
He played his first game against the broncos with lawrence & could add a bit of depth to our club, & would be keen to have a red hot go.
yep, I had $20 on him (well actually Player Not Quoted) for LTS
