Statue's Had A Ball

Newcastle Herald

Saturday June 2, 2007

sporting declaration with Robert Dillon

LUKE Davico admits the first week in the rest of his life has been far from strenuous.

"I've been taking it pretty easy. It's a bit of a change not having to go to training," the former Newcastle Knights prop said.

"Actually it's a bit of a worry. I don't want to get too used to sitting around at home relaxing."

As of Monday this week, Davico is officially an ex-rugby league player. After a top-grade career that started in Canberra way back in 1994, retirement was forced on the 34-year-old when he aggravated a pectoral muscle injury playing in reserve grade two weeks ago.

"Our physio said the bare minimum I was looking at was 12 weeks out, so I just decided it was time to put the cue in the rack," he said.

"I was going to retire at the end of the season anyway, and I'd been mulling it over for a while, so it wasn't that hard a decision."

After appearing in 194 first-grade games 18 of them for Newcastle the big front-rower says he looks back on his career with no regrets and loved every minute of it. Except, of course, for the injuries that were an occupational hazard, given his demolition-derby playing style.

He would have relished a chance to test himself at representative level. The closest he came was when he was selected for Country Origin in 2004, only to suffer dislocated ribs during the training camp.

He must also have gone agonisingly close to touring with the Kangaroos in 2000 and 2001, only for selectors to stick with big-name props whose form was not as good as Davico's.

But while the man they call "Statue" missed out on representative honours, he played alongside a host of the all-time greats.

At Canberra, his teammates included Mal Meninga, Ricky Stuart, Laurie Daley, Bradley Clyde, Brett Mullins, Ben Kennedy, Steve Walters, David Furner, Jason Croker and Ruben Wiki. He was a member of their grand final squad in 1994 but did not get to play in the win against Canterbury.

Then during his brief stint at the Knights he found names like Andrew Johns, Danny Buderus, Steve Simpson, Matt Gidley and Brian Carney next to his on the team sheet.

Asked if he could single out any teammate as the best he had played with, Davico thought long and hard before replying with a laugh: "Brett Mullins was probably the most freakish talent, considering how much he used to drink and smoke. He was just a natural at any sport basketball, cricket, whatever he made it look easy."

When it came to playing hard off the field, Davico was certainly in the same league as Mullins. Invariably he was the life of the party who kept a smile on his teammates' faces.

"People used to say, 'Davico won't last, he's too much of a party boy'," he said.

"But maybe they didn't realise how hard I trained.

"I'm pretty satisfied that I've enjoyed such a long career, especially considering some of the injuries I've had to come back from."

Ironically, those injuries are a major reason that he, wife Belinda and children Bailey and Mackenzie are now happily ensconced at Redhead.

After leaving Canberra at the end of 2004, he suffered a season-ending pectoral muscle injury on debut for English side Wigan, who subsequently released him.

On returning to Australia, the Knights offered him the chance of a final fling in the NRL.

"I'm very grateful to the Knights, and in particular [former coach] Michael Hagan and [operations manager] Steve Crowe, for signing me," Davico said.

"My wife and I had been here about one day and we realised that this is where we want to be for the rest of our lives.

"It's a great lifestyle and it was a real privilege to play for the Knights. You hear all about how passionate their fans are, and after coming here you realise it's true that they do have the best fans in the competition."

Davico remains undecided about life after football. He has a hand in a couple of fledgling businesses with another former Knights prop, Craig Smith, including a game-day coffee stall at EnergyAustralia Stadium.

"I'm not really sure at the moment," he said.

"Whatever I decide on, I'm going to put as much enthusiasm and gusto into it as I have into my football. I'm looking forward to this next chapter in my life."

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

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