Matt Dufty has revealed how close he came to walking out on St George Illawarra before changing his mind because he didn’t want to be remembered as a “sook”.
Dufty’s fight to retain his fullback spot will resume next week when all 16 NRL clubs resume training in preparation for the planned season restart on May 28.
The 24-year-old had only just broken back into the first grade side when the coronavirus pandemic forced the league to suspend its competition after round two.
Dufty’s return followed a tumultuous summer that included being told in November rising star Zac Lomax would start in his preferred No.1 jumper in 2020.
It was around that time Dufty was in daily talks with his manager about joining a rival club, or move overseas, despite having two years left on his contract.
“It got pretty serious. But when push come to shove, he said: ‘Alright, we can get something done and you can go, or you can stay’,” Dufty told AAP.
“It was already halfway through pre-season and I was already training really well.
“That gave me a lot of confidence to go, ‘Nah, I’m going to give it one last crack at the Dragons. All the coaches are happy with me. I think I’ve got a shot to play’.
“He went, ‘Alright, sweet’.”
A serious conversation with his partner also provided Dufty with some further perspective.
“She was telling me: ‘Are you going to be happy if you stay?’ It just came down to how I wanted to be remembered as a player and person at the club,” he said.
“I didn’t want to be that guy who had a sook, got down and left, when I thought I was good enough. The two years before last, I was playing really good footy.
“I just didn’t want to forget that feeling of I know I can be good in the NRL.
“I wouldn’t have ever felt complete if I just left without giving it another shot.”