True Blue Brett Kimmorley has urged all Rugby League participants to get behind the upcoming NSWRL season after pitching in to help as an assistant coach for De La Salle 17s.
Kimmorley, who played 10 games for NSW and won a premiership with Melbourne Storm, was invited by coach Aaron Raper to help with the team.
The NSW Government announced last month that community and senior sport could re-start after being suspended over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Teams were permitted to resume full contact training from 1 July with competitions scheduled to kick off across the state on 18 July.
“I’m so excited and looking forward to going back to park footy,” Kimmorley told nswrl.com.au. “I was thinking only a few nights ago how good it will be to go back and watch a live game of football again.
“I’m super excited to be back down the park on a Saturday and helping out and seeing how the kids go.
“They are all really good kids. They try hard, they train hard and they listen so it’s going to be an easy eight to ten weeks.
“They’re all really looking forward to it because it’s a chance to get out, play football, practice and hang out with your mates and have a giggle and a laugh, so it will end up being a year that wasn’t wasted which is a good thing.”
Kimmorley also endorsed the range of COVID-19 protocols announced by the NSWRL designed to make the game safe for participants, coaches, officials, volunteers and spectators.
“We weren’t allowed to tackle or officially touch each other until last Wednesday night so it just is what it is,” Kimmorley said.
“It’s the new ‘now’; I don’t know if it will stay forever but it’s what it is and if you want to play you can play by these rules and at least you get to play.”
Kimmorley had been appointed as the NSW Under 18s coach this season but the annual match against Queensland was unable to go ahead because of coronavirus.
