NRL: Robinson's firm hand gets wayward prop on track for grand final

Trent Robinson. Photo / APN

Trent Robinson

The first time Manly prop Brent Kite clapped eyes on Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, the Sydney Roosters enforcer he'll go head-to-head with in Sunday's NRL grand final, he drove into the Sea Eagles' training ground behind the wheel of what can only be described as a heap.

Days earlier Kite had received a call from his niece asking him to keep an eye on her cousin "little Jared" who was joining the club as a young prop. What stepped out of a clapped out Toyota was a hulking front-rower, ready-made for a career in the NRL.

"His cousin, who is like a brother, is my niece's step-dad," Kite said. "I'm just thinking of a little kid who's going to rock in and then big Jared comes in. He was about my size and he brains it from day one in training."

Waerea-Hargreaves' talent alerted the Roosters who snatched him from the Sea Eagles after just six NRL games at the end of the 2009 season.

But it's taken the arrival of Trent Robinson as coach to add some consistency and polish to his game.

The front-rower was last year rewarded with a new contract that lets him drive in something more roadworthy nowadays.

But his value to the team has been diluted this season, due to the six weeks of suspensions. One suspension was for an elbow to the throat of South Sydney's Chris McQueen. A no-nonsense talk from Robinson followed the McQueen incident and Waerea-Hargreaves said it was important he paid heed to his coach.

"It's a maturity thing, I want to do my best for the team and my job is to make sure I am on the field," he said. "Robbo made it pretty simple and pretty clear. He said I needed to get it out of my game. I've crossed it a couple of times this year and I've found myself in a bit of trouble."

Waerea-Hargreaves played in the Roosters side that made the 2010 grand final against St George Illawarra. But he admits the distractions of the week affected him and it showed in his disappointing display in the 32-8 loss.

"I got a bit carried away in 2010," he said. "I was pretty much worrying about everyone else's job. Worrying about friends and family to make sure they had tickets. I didn't focus enough on the game.

"This year I'm enjoying it and trying to give a bit of knowledge of what not to do to the younger boys."

- AAP