King happy with his GF bench role
October 03, 2008 MANLY prop Jason King is happy playing the role of bench prop for Sunday's NRL grand final, in fact, he is relieved to be playing at all.
The 111kg enforcer thought his season was over twice this year when he injured ankle ligaments in rounds seven and 19.
King missed 10 weeks after his first injury against the Bulldogs and a further three weeks when he repeated it just five minutes into his second game back against Parramatta.
So frustrated was King at the time that he threw a massage table across the room inside the Sea Eagles change rooms.
"It was really frustrating, every professional rugby league player knows it's part of the game so it was so frustrating when you set so many goals at the start of the year and then you have setbacks like that," said King.
"But as a professional player you have to overcome them and a couple of months ago I never thought I would play in another grand final.
"I thought my season was over and I'm so happy to be part of the team and get the opportunity to play in another grand final."
The 27-year-old was a starting prop in last year's decider and for the opening rounds of this season before his injury struck.
The Eagles were starting King, Test prop Brent Kite and recruit Josh Perry together for an imposing pack in the opening exchanges but have since settled with King providing impact off the bench.
He is likely to be the first replacement called upon by coach Des Hasler in Sunday's NRL grand final against Melbourne, expected to swap with Perry around the 25 minute mark.
"Josh and Brent (Kite) have done a fantastic job at the start of the game and I just come on to try and give us an impact and lift the players," he said.
King has his own motivation to play well on Sunday, admitting last year's grand final loss to the Storm was one of his worst performances of 2007.
He had a season high six missed tackles and completed just seven runs for a season low 38m gained.
"The team as a whole didn't play anywhere near their potential. I know I didn't," he said of the 2007 decider.
"That is something you really want to concentrate on this week, just having a really good game.
"I think we're playing much better football this year.
"We are playing pretty close to our potential ... I think we're playing our best football."
October 03, 2008 MANLY prop Jason King is happy playing the role of bench prop for Sunday's NRL grand final, in fact, he is relieved to be playing at all.
The 111kg enforcer thought his season was over twice this year when he injured ankle ligaments in rounds seven and 19.
King missed 10 weeks after his first injury against the Bulldogs and a further three weeks when he repeated it just five minutes into his second game back against Parramatta.
So frustrated was King at the time that he threw a massage table across the room inside the Sea Eagles change rooms.
"It was really frustrating, every professional rugby league player knows it's part of the game so it was so frustrating when you set so many goals at the start of the year and then you have setbacks like that," said King.
"But as a professional player you have to overcome them and a couple of months ago I never thought I would play in another grand final.
"I thought my season was over and I'm so happy to be part of the team and get the opportunity to play in another grand final."
The 27-year-old was a starting prop in last year's decider and for the opening rounds of this season before his injury struck.
The Eagles were starting King, Test prop Brent Kite and recruit Josh Perry together for an imposing pack in the opening exchanges but have since settled with King providing impact off the bench.
He is likely to be the first replacement called upon by coach Des Hasler in Sunday's NRL grand final against Melbourne, expected to swap with Perry around the 25 minute mark.
"Josh and Brent (Kite) have done a fantastic job at the start of the game and I just come on to try and give us an impact and lift the players," he said.
King has his own motivation to play well on Sunday, admitting last year's grand final loss to the Storm was one of his worst performances of 2007.
He had a season high six missed tackles and completed just seven runs for a season low 38m gained.
"The team as a whole didn't play anywhere near their potential. I know I didn't," he said of the 2007 decider.
"That is something you really want to concentrate on this week, just having a really good game.
"I think we're playing much better football this year.
"We are playing pretty close to our potential ... I think we're playing our best football."
