Filling boots of Weyman offers Gower long innings
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday March 24, 2011
LIKE his famous cricketing namesake, Dragons recruit David Gower has had to be patient to achieve his biggest career goal.Gower was born in Sydney just weeks after the Test great led England to a drought-breaking Ashes series win over Australia in 1985.And his English father could not resist continuing the victory's legacy when christening his son.The rugby league front-rower's career also kicked off in the United Kingdom, with Super League club Salford.Three years ago, Gower returned to Australia for a shot at the NRL and was a part-time footballer and qualified electrician when he first caught a glimpse of first grade - playing 20 minutes off the bench for the Wests Tigers in 2009.He was left languishing in the NSW Cup again last year, but his fortunes changed when Wayne Bennett came calling and Gower was signed to the professional ranks with St George Illawarra.Now the 26-year-old is the man charged with sparking the Dragons pack in the absence of powerful prop Michael Weyman."It's certainly been frustrating, it certainly is a long time between drinks, but you don't play rugby league to play reserve grade, I guess," Gower said. "I was hoping it would have come sooner at the Tigers, but it is what it is," he admitted."It's a fresh year, it's a fresh start and a fresh club for me."I'm just looking forward to taking this one game and making the most of it."I'm not going to take it for granted, I'm going to enjoy every minute."Gower's only previous NRL game time was for the Tigers in the round 26, 2009 victory over the Bulldogs, a win which handed the Dragons the minor premiership.Now Gower is determined to play his role in a premiership defence, his equivalent of the Ashes holy grail which resulted in him being named after the left-handed batsman."My dad's an Englishman," he said. "He bet my mother that if the Poms won the Ashes [in 1985] that he's going to be David and if not, he's going to be Neil and the Poms won, so that's why I'm David."Now he is determined to put the runs on the board for St George Illawarra."I'm physically in the best shape I've ever been in, so hopefully I'll take that on to the field [against the Warriors] in New Zealand."
© 2011 Illawarra Mercury
