Rugby League: Tyro sighting the big time in Warriors
30 Jun, 2000 03:24 PM
By Peter Jessup
Who's that blond bloke at the back for the Warriors?
That was the question many were asking during the Souths game on Sunday.
Answer:
Carl Doherty.
Second question. Who the hell is
Carl Doherty?
He is a 23-year-old Wellington-born, Auckland-bred sunglasses salesman who plays fullback/wing and the reason no one has heard of him is because Sunday's was only his seventh game of first-grade league.
Doherty found his way to the Warriors courtesy of a penchant to try his hand at the game instead of rugby, a recommendation that former Warriors reserve grade coach John Ackland could teach him all he needed to know, a prodigious boot and some hard work.
One of the Warriors' smaller sponsors is adidas eyewear, and the local agent is the Doherty family firm of Euro Optics. With a business degree (with honours), he is marketing manager and was fitting some of the team for glasses when he asked which Auckland club side were the best, somewhere where he could learn.
Mt Albert, they all chirruped, Ackland still having many fans among the young players.
In six games for the Mount he has scored seven tries and kicked 32 goals from 35 shots.
"I've learned quite a lot from him already," Doherty understates.
He has certainly got the attitude the Warriors want. "I've really been enjoying the atmosphere, soaking it all up and trying to learn," he said of his 12 days at the club.
Doherty grew up in Titirangi in Auckland and played two seasons for nearby Glenora in schoolboy grades.
Then he went to St Peter's College and the rugby-oriented school turned his talents to the 15-man game.
After three years in the First XV he went on to Marist, then Ponsonby.
"But I thought my attributes were best suited to league and this year I decided, at 23, if I was going to change codes it had to be now," he said.
He lists those attributes as speed - five seconds over 40m and he is working it down further - no fear of taking high balls, a liking for one-on-one attack and belief in his ability to win it, and dedication to training.
Ability saw three Warriors scouts watch him in successive weeks for Mt Albert, assistant coach Mike McClennan reckoning he was worth a punt.
The attitude encouraged Warriors chief executive officer Trevor McKewen to offer him a development scholarship and Doherty will continue on full-time training with the top squad as a week-by-week prospect.
He realises he has not made it yet -
Matthew Ridge's return from a three-week suspension means it is unlikely he will get a start against the Eels at Parramatta on Saturday night.
That's OK by him. He is still taking in the lessons of week one.
"It was a great experience," he said of his first few minutes in the NRL and his first two points, from a penalty. "I didn't think I went too badly considering I'm quite new to the game.
"The pace was tremendous. The guys had warned me about it but I found out what they meant - just keeping position is hard work and when you go to do something with the ball you're much more tired."
So the sunnies are on hold while he tries his prospects as a pro-league player.
He said: "The Warriors have opened the door to me, it's a great opportunity. Now it's up to me to prove how much I want it."
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