THE SERIOUS SIDE OF JAMES MALONEY

EVEN AT such an important event as a press conference called to announce a move not only to a new club, but to a new country and new hemisphere, there’s always time for a cheeky joke and smile for James Maloney. The rugby league world had only found out the previous day that Maloney’s highly anticipated move to a Super League club – at which he’s expected to finish his career – was finally a done deal, so rather than further fuel speculation surrounding the move, the club and Jimmy invited the media to head west to hear Maloney’s take on the boldest move of his long and illustrious career to date.

Donning a Beanie for Brain Cancer, the 33-year-old and almost 250 NRL-gamer launched straight into larrikin mode on the back of the first question of the session, related to his upcoming departure from the NRL. (And by larrikin mode, we do mean a rugby league-playing Aussie attempting to speak French. Really, this should be the very definition of the term.)

“Yeah, bonjour, ca va mon ami? Apparently that’s ‘hello, how are you doing’,” Maloney educated the media throng. They wouldn’t have expected anything less from one of the game’s true, down to earth characters and 14-time NSW Blues State of Origin rep. Because that’s his lot in the best rugby league competition in the world. And he’s fine with that. It helps to ease the tension around the group during the tough times. Besides, if you’re not having fun while plying your trade in, if not The Greatest Game Of All, then certainly one of the toughest, then what’s the point?

“With the larrikin side of things, you have to enjoy what you do; I always have,” two days after that media conference. “I love the camaraderie of the football environment – when you go to work every day and you have 30 of your best mates to hang out with. I love that side of it. But there’s also a serious side.”