NRL: Royal appointment nears end as the sacrifices outweigh reward

Jesse Royal (with ball) was reliable in crisis, now the loyal squad man faces the playoff axe. Photo / APN

It's hard to figure out whether or not football has been kind to Jesse Royal.

While he has flogged himself for the Warriors' cause this season, his wife has been living and working in Australia and his eldest son living in Ngaruawahia with his father.

Hardly a recipe for happy families.

Royal's reward, after playing in 21 out of 24 regular season games, is almost certainly to be dropped for the team's playoff matches.

Given that his professional career will be over at the end of this season, it's a fate about which he is remarkably sanguine.

"It is a bit harsh, but I always knew that was going to happen," he said. "That is just how football works.

"The players they have there are all quality. Ben, Rusty, Sam and Jake are all great players. They've really led the way this year.

"I was just fortunate enough this year to play as many games as I did because Pricey and Sam got injured for a long period of time."

Signed as a squad player to cover for the big guns in case of emergencies, Royal had no illusions about his role. If anything, this season exceeded his expectations.

"I've enjoyed every moment of it. I knew it was going to be my last game last week. I just gave it everything I had and just left it out there. I was happy with that. I got a meat pie - so no nudie run."

Royal's undisguised delight at crossing against the Eels was one of the nicer moments of the season. Tries have never come easy for the former Army chef. Even against the Eels he needed two bites of the cherry after being held up over the line when he seemed certain to score.

"I was thinking 'that's the story of my life'. I've been held up over the line four or five times this year. If I hadn't have scored that try I would have been filthy at myself. In the end all the hard work paid off."

At 31, Royal has decided to call time on his league career. The sacrifices have begun to outweigh the rewards. Having already retired once, only to take up an offer from the Warriors, this latest stint has cost him a job in the Newcastle mines he may struggle to get back - and it has splintered his family.

"There are a lot of sacrifices but in saying that there are a lot of highs. At the end of the day family is forever, football isn't.

"In the end I thought it was just the right time, I guess, to finish up with football professionally and think of life after football.

"I just want to work nine-to-five and enjoy life. It will just be nice to be living under one roof again as a family."

Never an outrageously talented player, Royal didn't crack the big time until he was 27 and, barring injury to a teammate, will end his career having played 65 games over four seasons. At 1.91m and 107kg his physical attributes were never in question.

Off the field, he comes across as a complete gentleman.

On the field, too, he perhaps lacked the mongrel present in many of the game's pre-eminent front rowers. It's hard to recall Royal ever putting in a dirty tackle or raising a fist.

He'll depart the club with some cherished memories and a smile on his face. Many in his position wouldn't.

"I have loved it," he said.

"It has been a great year. After the season we had last year, how disappointing it was for ourselves as players and for the fans and the club, we went back to the drawing board. We owed it to ourselves and the fans to really put the hard work in.

"It is about to get harder but we are confident in our ability and what we have done.

"I'll just help out in any way I can."