KIERAN Foran calls him 'Mad Chocie'. Reckons there are times when he looks at the big fella and sees the crazy eyes.
But he says that's what separates Anthony Watmough from the rest. And it's why M
ad Chocie has been hailed the most important man in Manly's quest to win an ninth premiership this year.
Watmough is playing through the pain of a torn biceps, which he ripped off the bone completely during State of Origin One back in May.
Head trainer Don Singe says the choice for Watmough was simple: have an operation and miss the back-end of the season or play through the pain.
"And he chose to play for his team rather than have that operation," Singe says.
"That is how committed he is to what he calls his brotherhood.
"He tore the biceps and one of the tendons detached from the bone. And it still is. And it will be forever.
"But he has won two premierships and if things go well this year he might sign off on club history with his third . . . with his torn biceps."
Foran reckons Watmough is up there with rugby league's great hardmen.
"Chocie is out-and-out one of the toughest blokes to have played the game," he says.
"He is an actions man. It is his actions that speak volumes for the sort of bloke he is.
"He would do anything for the Manly jersey.
"With the torn biceps . . . most blokes would struggle to play on with an injury like that.
"But he just gets on with the job because he knows he has to be on the football field for our side to be at its best.
"He is a vital part of whether we are going to go on and win the premiership."
Watmough is now entering the time of year he relishes more than any other.
"He thrives at the back-end of the year, and with all his experience . . . we need it," Foran says. "This is his time. This is where he steps up and leads from the front.
"He walks off the field every game buggered, but he keeps doing it.
"I like to call him 'Mad Chocie' sometimes. He's got the crazy eyes.
"But he is the most genuine bloke you could ever meet and the most loyal mate you could ever have. Like all tough footballers, they have got that edge.
"That is what separates Chocie from a lot of the other guys in the competition."
Singe says Watmough's incredible endurance is the result of hard work and a passion few can understand.
"He just loves his football. He'd either be a soldier or doing this," Singe says. "He is very dedicated and very loyal to the men around him.
"He has been blessed with the physique and physiology that allows him to do what he does.
"A lot of people think that Chocie doesn't train too much, because he has this aura about him where he is really easygoing and cruises about.
"But he is a closet trainer. He works really hard at his trade."
Manly prop Brenton Lawrence – a former Titan – is just glad to be wearing the same colours as Watmough.
"It doesn't surprise me that Chocie has decided to put the team and our success before himself," Lawrence says.
"He is just a machine. His resilience is unbelievable."
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JOEL GOULD
http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/hes-crazy-eyes/