How he got there is as complex as an Agatha Christie mystery but Tauranga rugby league stalwart Brendon Anderson has opened a new chapter in his long playing career by shifting across the ditch to play in Canberra's club competition.
Long after most players his age have given up on playing semi-professionally, 33-year-old Anderson will turn out for the Yass Magpies in the nine-team Canberra region club premiership, two years after his young brother Shaan headed west to play in northern New South Wales.
The hard-working prop is still scratching his head at how he ended up in Yass - population 5300, 56km north of Canberra - but is eager to sink his teeth into his new on-field role.
Anderson was contacted by Yass coach Mark Bell just Christmas and sounded out about a playing/mentor role with the club, which is 110 years old and won the Canberra competition in 2006.
"I've asked how he heard about me but he isn't letting on. All I know is that the coach got hold of Len Reid [coach development manager for the Bay of Plenty region] who passed on my contact details, but somehow someone's seen something, whether it was for the WaiCoa-Bays Stallions or for the [Tauranga] Whalers."
Yass are coming off a disappointing 2011 Canberra Raiders Cup competition, which covers the Australian Capital Territory and surrounding New South Wales towns Queanbeyan, Goulburn and Yass, finishing seventh with six wins, nine losses and a draw. Already there's expectation brewing, with the Yass Tribune heralding his arrival, "although I hope they don't think it's Ruben Wiki they've signed!"
Anderson was founding member and frontrow colossus for the Otumoetai Eels before moving across town to play a big role in the Tauranga Whalers' resurgence last year, helping player/coach Paul Pou mould the young side into Bay of Plenty region winners.
Yass want Anderson to filling a similar role, finding him a job, providing accommodation and a car and making match payments.
"Mark wants me to help guide what sounds like a pretty young team, and I'm changing positions to second row as well because apparently there's a few bigger boys than me, which is encouraging" the 1.94m, 110kg prop said.
Anderson featured for the Stallions in the national premiership but was disappointed not to make the New Zealand Residents team at the end of the tournament. He was planning another season with the improving Whalers when Yass came calling.
"Ten years ago it was probably more of a dream to get the sort of opportunity I've been handed. I'm not going to get rich on match payments, especially as it's only a 20-match season, but it's a new experience and something I never thought would come at my age."