Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013 Burgess brothers Photo of the day answer call for Rabbitohs revival SYDNEY: What started with an invitation from an Oscar-winning actor to visit a movie set in 2009 could see four burly English brothers playing a key role in the resurrection of one of the great names of Australian sport over the next month. The actor was Russell Crowe and the young rugby league gladiator he was hop- ing to entice to Australia to play for the club he co-owned and was looking to revive was powerful England forward Sam Burgess. The entreaties on the set of Robin Hood worked and Sam, now rated as one of the best players in the National Rugby League, was eventually joined at the South Sydney Rabbitohs by older brother Luke and 21-year-old twins Thomas and George. Last weekend all four, who combine to weigh in at just under half a ton, played together for the first time as the Rabbitohs came from 18-0 down to beat Wests Tigers 32-18 and remain on course for a first title in more than four decades. “It is incredible, if someone had told me that five years ago, I wouldn’t have believed them,” Luke, who scored a try in the comeback win, told Reuters at Redfern Oval this week. “It’s mas- sive, absolutely massive,” the 26-year-old added. “I think for a start, for all four of us to play professionally is pretty cool, and then to play in the same game in the same team is massive and definitely something we’ll talk about at the end of the year over a beer.” For now, though, there remains a job to do and all four broth- ers have again been included in the squad for Friday’s final regu- lar season match against their fiercest rivals Sydney Roosters - the team from glamorous Bondi. The match between the last two Lena Erdil performs during Red Bull Aegean Cross at Alacati Cesme in Izmir— Turkey. www.redbull.com surviving club’s from the league’s foundation season of 1908 is a winner-takes-all clash to decide who tops the final regular season standings to be crowned “minor premiers” going into the play- offs. Rugby league is the unrivalled number one winter code on Perfect timing for De Jonge the east coast of Australia, while the Rabbitohs are the most suc- cessful club in its 115 year history with 20 titles. for Presidents Cup debut The last of those came in 1971, however, and for a long time it did not look like there would ever be another, particularly after LOS ANGELES: If timing is everything in sport, as the saying goes, they were kicked out of the league in 2000 and had to resort to then the stars could not be better aligned for Zimbabwean the legal system to get back in two years later. The tens thou- Brendon De Jonge to make his debut at the biennial Presidents sands of fans who took to the Sydney streets to back the legal bid Cup in a month’s time. The burly 33-year-old earned a spot on the bore witness to the popularity of the “Bunnies” but lean years fol- 12-man Internationals team as one of two captain’s picks lowed with the team finishing bottom of the league to take the announced on Wednesday by compatriot Nick Price, who has “wooden spoon” in 2003, 2004 and 2006. long been his golfing idol and, more recently, a mentor. “Manchester United would be reasonable comparison, they’ve De Jonge will become the third Zimbabwean to compete in got supporters all over the country,” said Brad Walter, senior the Ryder Cup-style event, following Price (1994, 1996, 1998, sports writer at the Sydney Morning Herald. “(But) they were just 2000, 2003) and Mark McNulty (1994, 1996). Both Price (captain) amateurish, they didn’t have any money, Redfern Oval was just and McNulty (assistant) will be with him in the team locker room. run-down, it still had a picket fence around it.” The Oval, where “It’s pretty cool and obviously it couldn’t work out any better,” de the Rabbitohs train but no longer play, lies in an inner city area Jonge told Reuters by telephone a few hours after his Cup debut where, so the legend goes, hard-up players in the early days of was made official. “Once I found out Nick was going to be captain, the club sold rabbits, crying “Rabbitoh!” to advertise their wares it was definitely one of the goals that I set for myself, to do every- and giving the club its nickname. thing I could to try and make this team, and have the opportunity Shabby public housing apartment blocks still rise high above to play for him. the Oval but the facility itself bears the hallmarks of the invest- “Some of my best sporting memories are from playing team ment of Crowe and businessman Peter Holmes a Court, who sport and unfortunately we don’t have that opportunity too together took a 75 percent interest in the club in 2006. “We’re much in our profession. I am looking forward to the camaraderie aware of the history and we’re reminded about it quite often by of team sport again.” With 10 players already inked in as automat- the fans, the fans get really excited,” said Luke Burgess. “It’s nice ic choices on the International team after the final counting to see the fans get really excited by a South Sydney team event, the Deutsche Bank Championship, finished on Monday, de because it’s been over 40 years since they had any success. “But Jonge was one of “five or six guys” Price had in his cross-hairs to it’s our job not to get caught up in that and just go out there and be wildcard picks. NORTON: Brendon de Jonge plays his shot from the 14th tee do our jobs.” Though de Jonge and Australian Marc Leishman ended up during the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship Crowe and Holmes a Court’s investment was by no means lim- gaining Price’s nod on Wednesday, the Zimbabwean conceded at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts. —AFP ited to the four Yorkshiremen and the recruitment of indigenous he had been feeling the pressure of expectation. “It was almost fullback Greg Inglis and coach Michael McGuire have been key to impossible to stop thinking about it,” said de Jonge, who gave his golfing hero of his childhood, will captain the Internationals for the revival. “It were never just all about the Burgess brothers and own wildcard credentials a timely boost by tying for ninth at the the first time. “I first knew about Nick probably in the early 90s that was something we didn’t want as four brothers, we just Deutsche Bank Championship, the second of the PGA Tour’s when I was about 11 or 12,” de Jonge recalled. “He used to come wanted it to be about the team,” Luke said, as his brothers and lucrative FedExCup playoff events. “Obviously I was trying to play back and play in the Zimbabwe Open every year and I met him their team mates ate lunch in the sun on the bleachers nearby. as best as I could in the first couple of playoff events but you find for the first time when I was 13. “I played the Zim Open when I “We just feel very privileged that we got the opportunity to do it creeping into your mind every now and then.” was 16 for the first time when Nick was still coming across from this at this club and with these boys we’ve got here. It’s just fan- De Jonge, who has yet to win on the PGA Tour despite several the US and we had a chat then but it was all very brief and in tastic, we all love each other, all the boys are so close.” South close calls since he first competed on the US circuit in 2007, first passing. But the last five years, I have stayed in close contact with Sydney captain John Sutton grew up in the nearby beachside heard about his Presidents Cup summons when former world Nick. “I stay at his house when I play the Honda (Classic in Florida) suburb of Maroubra and is a member of the surf gang the Bra number one Price phoned him on Tuesday. “Nick called me at and any time that I am struggling with anything or feel like I need Boys, who won international fame when Crowe narrated a 2007 about four o’clock yesterday afternoon and asked me if had a someone to talk to, he’s definitely the first one I call with regards documentary film about them. beer in my hand and told me if not I should go get one because I to golf.” Asked what had been the most valuable lesson he had As a local and one of the few survivors of the bad old days, am on the team,” de Jonge said. “Obviously it was very, very excit- learned from three-times major winner Price, de Jonge replied: Sutton is well aware what four more wins this season would ing. I had been waiting all day and wasn’t sure what was happen- “Perseverance and patience. “He has often spoken about how mean to long-suffering South Sydney fans and almost splutters ing,” added the Zimbabwean, who has made more birdies on the many times he has won a tournament when it fell into his lap and when asked whether it is a special club. “One hundred percent it PGA Tour than anyone else since the start of the 2009 season. De I haven’t yet won (on the PGA Tour). Nick has told me to remain is, it’s got the longest history and it’s won the most Premierships Jonge could not be happier that he will make his Cup debut at patient and persevere, just keep doing what I am doing and keep and all that stuff,” he said.—Reuters Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio from Oct 3-6 when Price, the improving.”—Reuters