Jarrod Wallace reveals difficult off-field battle behind 2019 on-field woes
Titans forward Jarrod Wallace is the first to admit he was below his best in 2019. But the former State of Origin enforcer’s on-field problems paled in comparison to those off it.
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Titans forward Jarrod Wallace admits he was below his best in 2019 – but he wants people to understand why.
Wallace lost his Queensland State of Origin jersey during a tough 2019 campaign where the Gold Coast Titans collected the NRL’s wooden spoon.
The hardworking prop forward was nowhere near his best and doesn’t shy away from that.
But there were reasons for his dip in form and Wallace hopes jaded fans can understand why he battled on the field.
Wallace, 28, and wife Courtney Thorpe welcomed their first child together – Kennedy Grace – on August 14 last year.
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Kennedy was born six weeks premature following a pregnancy with multiple complications.
For Wallace, football seemed insignificant as his wife battled the uncertainty of a turbulent pregnancy.
“It was a hard year for me in a sense that we weren’t up to par on the field, I took it a little bit personally and I wanted to do more for the team,” he said.
“Off-field was really hard for me too with my missus and the pregnancy. It was a hard year for me personally.
“It is hard (to play well), people don’t realise that. If our home life isn’t good, in the sense things are hard, then it shows on the field.
“I’ve always done really well to try and keep my family life out and play good footy, but it does catch up to you.
“We had a lot of issues from the get-go unfortunately. It was a very tough pregnancy for her.
“Last year, five minutes before warm-up, I was worried about my wife and texting her to check she was okay, then I’d go out and warm-up and play.
“For the last five or six games, I’d fly home straight after the game because I had to be home to look after her and be there in case anything happened.
“We ended up (having Kennedy delivered) six weeks early because of the complications we had.
“I missed a game because my head wasn’t there. I was more worried about my baby and wife.”
After spending two weeks in hospital, Kennedy returned home and is now a thriving seven-month-old.
The Titans have undergone a transformation under new coach Justin Holbrook and Wallace will begin the 2020 season against the Raiders in Canberra in a different headspace.
“This year there will be a real weight off my shoulders – I will be able to focus on the game,” he said.
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“Everything is going really well. I’m fit and the body feels great. My family is doing great.
“The football can come off the back of that.
“I’m really excited. It’s going to be a big year for the team and myself.”
Wallace’s move from the Broncos to the Titans from the 2017 NRL season kickstarted his career.
He made his Origin debut for the Maroons that year and had six appearances next to his name before being dropped last year.
Wallace said his off-field concerns coupled with the Titans’ poor performances were behind his form dip and Origin axing.
And he hopes the impact of Holbrook on the Titans will help him back into the Origin arena this year.
“I was in a rough head space – my mind wasn’t in it,” he said.
“The standards we had at the Titans weren’t helping either. When I went into Origin it was a whole different level.
“In 2017 we were all at the same level, but last year it felt like a really big jump with the speed and fitness. That’s because the level we had at the Titans wasn’t up to that standard.
“When you try to go up to a higher standard you get found out.
“This year our standards are a lot higher. We won’t be letting that happen. Justin has got us to a high standard of training.
“He is going to be a really good thing for myself and the team.”