Broncos’ Corey Parker reveals the commitment and consistency that has made him an NRL ironman

BRISBANE skipper Corey Parker will soon become the most capped forward in NRL history. At 33-years-old he is still going strong, so how does he do it?

Brisbane Broncos captain Corey Parker. Pic Darren England.

IT’S 6am and the veteran Bronco, his hair a shade of grey, has already lobbed at Red Hill. Broncos backroom staffers shoot a quizzical look.

The sun has barely risen and training is still three hours away. But welcome to the mentality of the ultimate NRL professional.

There is work to be done.

If you think the arriving Bronco is Wayne Bennett, who starts his day with a morning run, you are mistaken.

The veteran is Corey Parker, who on Thursday night plays his 329th game at elite level, leapfrogging Cronulla legend Andrew Ettingshausen (328) when he runs out to face the Dragons at Suncorp Stadium.

To truly appreciate Parker’s service, consider this: just six players in the code’s 108-year history have amassed more first-grade games.

In a fortnight, the Broncos skipper will surpass Eels great Nathan Hindmarsh (330) as the longest-serving forward the game has witnessed.

Sea Eagles legend Steve Menzies (349) does not count exclusively as a forward as he played two seasons in the centres during his rookie years at Brookvale.

By next year, Parker could stand at the summit as the NRL’s greatest ironman, with Darren Lockyer’s record of 355 games tantalisingly within sight.

Behind the numbers, records and on-field feats is the private dedication you don’t see.

While many of Parker’s teammates are still asleep, the skipper has already clocked on inside the Broncos gymnasium. He stretches and reaches for a foam roller to iron out kinks in his ageing muscles. He sees a physio to manage a degenerative condition in his right knee.

Parker jokes he has had some luck along the way, but there is nothing fortuitous about the NRL portfolio he has amassed a month shy of his 34th birthday.

“As a young kid at the Broncos, I was too scared to get physio. That’s the truth,” he recalls as he prepares for another bruising encounter with a Russell Packer-led Dragons pack.

“I used to think if I was getting physio and the coach saw me getting treatment, he’d have second thoughts about playing me.

“I was worried he’d think I’m injured ... so I wouldn’t get physio. It’s a totally different mindset now, the game is so much more professional. To this day, I still like to get to training at 6am or 6.15, depending on traffic.

“A couple of staff members will look at me and say, ‘Geez, you’re early’. But it’s just what I do. It’s the same every day. Physio, stretching, rolling ... the older models like myself take a while to get going.

Parker knows he has to take care of his body at this late stage in the game.

“I tell younger players now that you can get away with a few things in your early years. You can cut a few corners. But at some stage if you are slack, it will catch up with you and you will fail.

“The key is recognising that. I’m very much a routine person.

“Every week, I have a checklist in my head and I make sure I tick everything off. It sounds boring but it’s what’s kept me in the game this long.”

The sacrifice has spawned head-spinning statistics. Since debuting at the Broncos as a baldheaded 18-year-old prop, Parker has played a staggering 20,886 minutes of first grade.

He has made 4752 runs, 822 tackle busts, 531 offloads, 55 line-breaks, 9951 tackles and charged for 35,301 metres.

Not bad for a kid from Logan who once marvelled at Ettingshausen in his prime at the Sharks, not even daring to dream he could join “ET” in the 300-club.

“I always admired what ET achieved as a Test and Origin player,” Parker said.

“Being a Brisbane kid, I wasn’t much of a Cronulla fan.

“I watched a few of their games but he always caught my eye in Origin. He came through that great era of the Blues with Ricky Stuart, Brad Clyde, Mark McGaw and Paul Harragon. He was one of the great finishers of the game, he had lightning speed so it’s humbling to go past a guy like that.”

Corey Parker admits he always admired Andrew Ettingshausen,

In an age where most NRL players slowly decay in their 30s, Parker did the opposite. Remarkably, his form got better. Many attribute his late-career renaissance to his six-year exile from State of Origin, but Parker had a deeper motivation — putting food on the table.

“About six years ago, when I found out my wife (Margaux) and I were having our first child, I realised what I’m doing isn’t about me anymore,” said Parker, now a father of four.

“Sometimes as an athlete you can be self-consumed and think it’s all about me. When I found out I was becoming a father, I felt I had a responsibility and accountability. It’s not just about you. You have to provide for your child and their existence.

“That was my main motivation in football to get better. Learning how to become a professional footballer was the most important phase of my career.”

Wayne Bennett had no doubts about Parker’s consistency.

Professionalism. Accountability. Dedication. Respect. They are the pillars that drive Parker — and why Bennett believed he deserved the captaincy this season.

“If you’re going to write a story about Corey, mention this. Corey has won three Paul Morgan Medals at this club,” Bennett said.

“He won it last year again at age 33. It’s a remarkable effort. You don’t notice him half the time because he’s so good, so consistent. He’s always having a go.

“I’m pleased that Corey has evolved into a captain.

“Some guys you think will be captain never mature, but Corey earned it this time. I didn’t agonise over the captaincy but I went through a process in my head.

“Who would want to do it? Why would they want to do it? When I weighed that up, Corey was the right choice. He’s like all the good ones in this game ... they just get the job done.”

NRL IRONMEN

Most first-grade NRL/NSWRL games

355 Darren Lockyer (Brisbane)

350 Terry Lamb (Wests, Canterbury)

349 Steve Menzies (Manly, Northern Eagles)

336 Brad Fittler (Penrith, Sydney Roosters)

332 Cliff Lyons (Norths, Manly)

330 Nathan Hindmarsh (Parramatta)

329* Corey Parker (Brisbane)

328 Andrew Ettingshausen (Cronulla)

320 Geoff Gerard (Parramatta, Manly, Penrith)

318 Jason Croker (Canberra)

* including Thursday night’s clash

Originally published as Broncos’ Corey Parker reveals the commitment and consistency that has made him an NRL ironman