He arrived as the star forward, but Trent Merrin has embraced stepping out of the spotlight.
The Penrith veteran admits needing to take a selfless approach to his football this year after watching his minutes drop to its lowest point in eight years.
A former Kangaroos and NSW State of Origin representative, not since his second season in the NRL has Merrin spent as much time on the sideline.
But the 28-year-old remains intent on playing his role for the club, including stepping aside for the riches of talent coming through the ranks.
“It’s the job that I have to do for the team,” Merrin said.
“I’d love to be out there as long as I possibly can but the talent we have in this team, the individual talent we have here, it’s hard to take minutes away from those sort of players too.”
Merrin’s average 44 minutes per game this year is well below the career-high 67 he set in his first season at Penrith following his lucrative move from St George Illawarra two years ago.
He insists he can still recapture his best form, but believes the likes of Viliame Kikau and James Fisher-Harris deserve to have established themselves as starters.
Asked whether he could still punch out 80 minutes like he used to, Merrin said: “100 per cent. I’ve still got full belief in my ability to play the style of footy I know I’m capable of.
“Like I said, it’s the team that we have here and each individual has a lot to offer in that squad. You’ve got to be selfless and spread it out amongst the team.
“You get individuals who prosper with that – the likes of Kikau and Fisher-Harris – I think everyone’s got to be selfless in the squad and give everyone a go on the field.”
He says that despite critics writing off the club due to their late-season struggles, he remains confident in their ability to compete for a title.
“We’re known for turning things around, especially when everything’s against us we vibe off that,” he said.
“We know what standard we’re capable of playing at, that’s just what we’ve got to get back to doing, having that confidence and belief that we can play that style of footy.”
MAGNIFYING MERRIN’S MINUTES
2009 (rookie) – 26 min
2010 – 34 min
2011 – 46 min
2012 – 54 min
2013 – 61 min
2014 – 56 min
2015 – 54 min.
2016 – 67 min
2017 – 53 min
2018 – 44 min
