Billy Slater 1

by Patrick Loughlin

  About the book

  Josh can play footy. He’s fast and fleet-footed and a blur down the sideline. But every time he steps onto the field a stampede of elephant-sized butterflies invade his stomach and he fumbles the ball.

  Having his footy-mad grandad screaming from the sidelines doesn’t help. To top it off, he blows an easy try and loses his team the opening game of the season. Josh starts thinking about giving up football forever. That is, until NRL legend and Josh’s hero, Billy Slater, turns up at training one day.

  Can Billy help Josh overcome his nerves and hang onto the ball long enough to score?

  Contents

  Cover

  About the book

  Title

  A Word from Billy

  Chapter 1: Up and at ’em

  Chapter 2: First-game jitters

  Chapter 3: A beautiful day for footy

  Chapter 4: Butter-fingers

  Chapter 5: Sausages and starry skies

  Chapter 6: The surprise guest

  Chapter 7: Backyard hero

  Chapter 8: Grumpy old man

  Chapter 9: Benched

  Chapter 10: The Yips

  Chapter 11: The empty chair

  Chapter 12: War of the words

  Chapter 13: Down the drain

  Chapter 14: Billy’s advice

  Chapter 15: Reality check

  Chapter 16: Round four

  Chapter 17: Try time

  Chapter 18: There’s always next week

  The Team

  Player Profiles

  Billy’s Tips

  Also in the series

  Copyright Notice

  Loved the Book?

  When I started playing footy, I wasn’t only focused on scoring tries (as much fun as it was). I just wanted to have fun. And I still do. To score a try takes hard work and, a lot of the time, the help of your teammates.

  Your teammates are the ones who will give you a pat on the back when you have done a great job and they’ll also be the first ones to encourage you when you make an error. At the end of the day, it’s about running onto the footy field, getting involved and having a lot of fun.

  Sometimes, though, things won’t go your way and you’ll have to work through it. There have been times when I’ve tried my hardest to catch the ball or kick it a little bit further and, for some reason or another, it didn’t work out. But that’s okay, as long as you take a minute to remember that you gave it your best shot and you’ll give it another try.

  In Try Time, you will read about how Josh tries and tries to succeed, but something is slightly off. Maybe he’s trying too hard or maybe it’s just not for him. He needs a little help on the way to see it through and to enjoy his footy.

  I hope you enjoy reading Try Time and understand that, while winning is great, being part of a team and having fun is often a lot better. It’s also important to share your feelings with others around you – especially your family – as they are often the best people to help you out.

  Billy Slater

  The ref’s whistle blew to start the first half. The West Hill Ravens received the ball from the kick-off and immediately began hitting it up against the opposition.

  Josh Brown stood out on the right wing in his very first game of rugby league, poised for the perfect pass that would send him over the line for a try.

  He had been waiting his whole life for a chance to step onto a real football ground and play in his first footy team, and now his time had come. He was ready.

  Josh stood, steely-eyed and determined, watching his teammates work the ball out of their half.

  Tackle one: a nice hit-up.

  Tackle two: a short bust.

  Tackle three: a lovely off-load. Now, a genuine break – they had broken through the opposition’s defence!

  The Ravens worked the ball from right to left across the line. Josh was running alongside his centre, following the action, ready for his first touch of the ball.

  ‘Out wide!’ cried the inside centre. ‘Pass it out wide!’

  Josh could feel his heart pounding in anticipation. Here it comes. The next thing he knew, the centre had the ball. ‘I’m here!’ yelled Josh.

  His teammate nodded and, drawing in two of the opposition, floated a pass out to Josh.

  Josh caught the ball and sprinted away like a racehorse down the sideline. It was a glorious feeling. He could feel the wind in his face and hair. He was a blur. A lightning strike. A speeding bullet. He’d never felt so fast.

  With the tryline in sight, there was just the fullback and the winger to beat. But Josh was too fast for them. No one would catch him. He was so fast the fullback and the winger were laughing.

  Hang on, why are they laughing? Josh wondered.

  All of a sudden he felt a little cold. The wind wasn’t just in his face and hair, it was buffeting his whole body. Josh glanced down and realised he wasn’t wearing his jersey. I must have forgotten to put it on, he thought. It doesn’t matter now, I can put it on after I score a try.

  Only metres from the tryline, he could hear the crowd roaring with excitement. Except it didn’t sound like excitement. It was more like laughter.

  Josh looked down again and realised it wasn’t just his jersey that was missing – he had no shorts on. He was running down the sideline in his first-ever game of rugby league in his football boots, green-and-black Ravens socks and a rather small, tight-fitting pair of Superman undies that he hadn’t worn since he was five.

  Josh stopped running and turned to look behind him. The whole crowd and both teams were in hysterics. Everyone was pointing and whistling.

  Josh tried to cover himself with the ball, but that just made everyone laugh even more. The ref was laughing so hard he could barely blow his whistle. When he finally did, he signalled a penalty.

  ‘Penalty against the Ravens. Player out of uniform,’ the ref said, giving Josh a wink.

  Hang on, he looks familiar. Josh squinted at the ref. ‘Grandad?’

  ‘Up and at ’em!’ yelled the ref.

  Josh opened his eyes to find his grandad’s large red face smiling down at him.

  ‘Come on, Joshie. Up and at ’em.’

  Phew, thought Josh, it was just a dream.

  ‘Big day today. First game of the season,’ said Grandad.

  A sudden flood of panic filled Josh’s ten-year-old body. His grandad was right. It was the first game of the season.

  ‘Let’s go, kiddo,’ said Grandad, whipping off Josh’s doona and exposing his skinny limbs to the cool morning air. ‘You don’t want to be late for your first game, do you?’

  But for some strange reason, Josh found himself unable to move.

  Ten minutes later Josh was sitting at the kitchen table, staring into a bowl of porridge. It hadn’t taken him long to get ready, once he’d managed to peel himself out of bed.

  After throwing on a T-shirt and his hoodie, Josh had triple-checked that he was wearing his new Ravens footy shorts and a pair of plain blue undies – not his Superman ones (which had long since disappeared from his drawer, anyway). Then he packed his new football boots, shoulder pads and mouthguard into his backpack. Within minutes he was ready for his first game of football.

  Josh had been waiting for this moment for weeks, ever since player registration in February. Now the season was finally here, he knew he should be feeling excited. After all, he had practically begged his mum to let him join the team.

  Josh, his dad and footy-mad grandad had worked together all summer to wear down Josh’s mum. She’d thought he was too
young and too small for rugby league and had suggested he’d be better off playing soccer, where he was less likely to get hurt.

  But for Josh, it was league or nothing. It was his game.

  So why did he feel like a herd of elephant-sized butterflies had just stampeded through his stomach? The nervous feeling only increased the longer Josh stared at his porridge.

  ‘Josh, eat your breakfast,’ said Mum, while wiping down the kitchen bench. She poured herself a cup of tea and sat down across from him. ‘Oats are low GI and very nutritious, and the bananas will give you the energy you need for your first big game.’

  Chloe, Josh’s baby sister, seemed to agree. She was happily smearing porridge all over her face and highchair. But Josh wasn’t so sure.

  ‘I really wish I could be there today,’ his mum continued. ‘But your sister’s teething and I need to get to the chemist before they shut.’

  Chloe seems fine to me, thought Josh. He looked at his sister, who was happily drooling all over her own hand while blowing porridge and spit bubbles through her mouth and nose at the same time. Josh winced in disgust.

  ‘Not hungry, lad?’ asked Grandad. ‘Only natural to have a few first-game jitters. You’ll be fine once you run onto the field. I always was.’

  Josh nodded and brought another spoon­ful to his mouth. But something inside his stomach shuddered, and a moment later he was rushing off to the toilet.

  The ground was buzzing with activity. There were three games of mini-league on and a growing crowd of spectators was setting up folding chairs and blankets on the grassy slope beside the football field. The smell of sausages and onions sizzling on the barbecue wafted through the crisp April air.

  It was a beautiful day for football.

  Despite his nerves, Josh couldn’t help but feel excited. He ran over to join his teammates and Coach Steve for some light passing drills and warm-up exercises. After fifteen minutes, the team huddled before the ­kick-off.

  ‘All right, boys. It’s the first game of the season, let’s not be shy out there,’ said Coach Steve.

  He was a tall man with a shiny bald head that he usually kept covered with a battered old Ravens cap. All the boys liked him because he was tough but fair and used funny expressions.

  ‘We’re up against the Harbourside Hawks today. These guys were in the top four last year and they’ve got some big, tough forwards and lightning-quick backs. So, we’ve got to be ready for anything.’

  ‘I’m confused, Coach,’ said the Ravens five-eighth and team clown, Tai Nguyen. ‘When you say “ready for anything”, do you mean like an alien invasion or something?’

  ‘No, Tai, I don’t mean an alien invasion. I mean you need to get on that field and play your heart out. And before you ask, yes, I want to see your heart actually pop out and take a break on the bench while you keep running,’ said Coach Steve.

  The whole team laughed.

  Josh found out exactly how tough the Hawks were when he tried to tackle one of them. The Hawks player just palmed him off like he was a piece of soft cheese. But when Josh hit the ground he didn’t feel like soft cheese. His bones jarred and the thud vibrated through his entire body.

  ‘Up you get, Josh! Don’t let that big lout stop you,’ yelled Grandad.

  Josh pushed himself up off the ground and brushed his grass-stained elbows and knees. He jogged back into the line, a little worse for wear.

  The good thing about playing on the wing was that it meant you didn’t have to do a lot of tackling, because most of the action tended to happen in the middle of the field. Eventually, though, someone would run your way. You always had to be ready.

  With each play of the ball, Josh ran up in the defensive line, ready to meet the attack. But he could feel that hard ground biting at his football boots with every step. The ground felt like it would eat him alive, one skinned knee at a time.

  The Hawks worked the ball out wide and, suddenly, Josh had a large centre steaming towards him. He closed his eyes and threw himself into the tackle. This time he was slightly more successful. He managed to bring down the player . . . right on top of him.

  It took Josh a little longer to get to his feet. His head had connected with the player’s knee and was still ringing like a church bell on Sunday.

  ‘That’s it, Josh! Good tackle!’ yelled Grandad. ‘Next time try using your shoulders more and your face less.’

  Josh was starting to find his grandad’s encouraging sideline comments slightly dis­couraging. And when the Ravens finally got the ball, they were downright distracting.

  ‘Come on, Ravens. Run straight!’

  ‘Let’s go, Ravens. Spread it wide!’

  ‘Pass it to the wing, ya bunch of ball hogs!’

  Josh could feel the rest of the team glaring at him. Maybe that was why no one had passed him the ball in the entire first half.

  Josh looked up at the scoreboard. The Ravens were down 6–0 and he was yet to touch the ball. It wasn’t quite the start to the season he’d been hoping for.

  ‘Listen, we’re only down by six points,’ said Coach Steve. He looked at the boys sitting in a semicircle around him eating orange quarters. ‘There’s still plenty of time in the game. Let’s watch our passes and support the man with the ball.’

  ‘It might be a bit easier to concentrate on passing if someone’s grandad wasn’t yelling at us the whole time,’ said Corey.

  Josh looked down at his orange peel.

  Corey was the outside centre and a great player, but Josh had a feeling Corey didn’t like him. Maybe it was the death stares Corey kept giving him, or the way he had walked up to Josh on the first day of training and said, ‘Stay out of my way, newbie!’

  Now it was becoming clear that Corey didn’t like Josh’s grandad’s sideline com­ments, either. Josh couldn’t blame him. His grandad took footy very seriously.

  ‘Well, it wouldn’t hurt you to pass it once in a while, Corey,’ Coach Steve said cheerily.

  Corey shot a fiery look at Josh. ‘But . . .’

  ‘No buts. It’s our first game of the season, let’s have some fun. I want to see everyone involved and having a run with the ball,’ said Coach Steve. He winked at Josh. ‘Now, let’s get out there and put some points on that board!’

  When the second half began, it seemed as if Coach Steve’s talk had worked. The Ravens got off to a flying start, receiving the ball from the kick-off. Cameron Cotter, their fullback, took the ball on the full and broke through the Hawks’ defence.

  Two tackles later, Tai got a razor-sharp cut-out pass to Corey, who took off through a yawning gap on the Hawks’ left side. Josh went with him in support but Corey was too fast, racing away to score under the posts. The Ravens halfback and captain, Liam McGill, converted the try to lock the score at 6–6. The team celebrated the first try of the season with an excited bout of high fives.

  But their great start hit a snag a few minutes later when the Ravens’ big prop forward, Lucas ‘Poppa’ Popovic, came charging in for a run and knocked the ball on in the very first tackle.

  ‘Hold onto the ball, Ravens!’ hollered a familiar voice from the sidelines.

  ‘Doesn’t your grandad ever stop yelling, Brown?’ snarled Corey.

  Josh didn’t reply.

  The next ten minutes was all Hawks. They kept the Ravens pinned in their own half, and it wasn’t long before the Hawks went over the line again.

  ‘Chins up, Ravens! Get it together out there.’ This time it was Coach Steve yelling some encouragement as the team stood behind the posts.

  They watched the Hawks goal kicker easily slot the ball over the black dot for another two points.

  As the second half wore on, the game turned into an arm wrestle, with neither team able to score. The tension rose and the Ravens crowd began chanting. Josh relaxed a little. At least now it wasn’t just his grandad calling
out from the sideline.

  Josh felt a bit like a spectator himself. He seemed to be doing a lot of running around and watching things happen. He tried to help out but he always arrived too late.

  When the Ravens had the ball Josh made sure to run up with the line, but the ball never seemed to make it out to the wing. In a way, Josh didn’t mind. He was a little worried about what might happen if the ball ever was passed to him.

  ‘Forward pass,’ announced the ref, awarding the Ravens a penalty.

  ‘Let’s go, boys,’ called Coach Steve, clapping from the sideline.

  Josh looked up at the scoreboard.

  They were down by a try. With two minutes to go before full-time, this was the Ravens’ last chance to score. They had to work the ball out wide and go for a try in the corner.

  It was finally Josh’s chance to get involved. So why did he feel like throwing up? No time to worry about that now, thought Josh. It’s time to play footy.

  The West Hill Ravens took the tap twenty metres out from the tryline.

  Here it comes. The ball is coming to me. Any second now.

  Azza passed it to Tai, who dummied and twirled and off-loaded to the Ravens’ go-to tackle-buster, Junior Taafuli.

  Fifteen metres.

  Junior smashed through the Hawks defence, taking two of their defenders with him, and got an easy off-load to Cameron Cotter.

  Ten metres.

  Cameron accelerated through a gap and flicked a sneaky pass back to Blake ‘the Fake’ Vargas, the Ravens inside centre. Blake turned to find Corey cutting through on his right and Josh running outside him on the left.

  Five metres.

  ‘Pass it out wide!’ Grandad shouted from the sideline.

  Blake seemed to hear him because he did pass the ball out wide. It was a terrific pass. It floated towards Josh as if on a breeze. All Josh had to do was pluck it from the air and dive over the tryline.