Shute Shield Grand Final 2024: Kiwi helping change Eastern Suburbs rugby’s image and style
He’s the tough nut his coach didn’t even know at season start helping transform Eastern Suburb’s image and eradicate old club rugby stereotypes.
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Monday morning’s Eastern Suburbs coach Ben Batger sends the same text to his “batted and busted” captain asking how he will back up to play in the upcoming Shute Shield round.
And each week Batger said he gets the same answer from New Zealander Josh Bokser.
“Buggered. But I’ll be there,” said Batger, who has steered Eastern Suburbs into the grand final of the Shute Shield in his first year at the coaching helm.
“He is so broken. He’s got a sore shoulder and ankle and most weeks, he’s pretty busted.
“As captain he is vital for us. He leads by example.
“Easts was alway perceived as a bit of a glamour club. Josh is as tough as nails. He represents the new Easts.”
In a team boasting Wallabies, rising stars and Super Rugby guns galore, it’s hard to stand out and Bokser usually doesn’t. Instead he goes about his work, shows his teammates by example how to hang tough, how to toil, how to dig deep at critical times.
“I love tough nuts and there is no one tougher,” Batger said of the man who will lead Easts out against last year’s runners-up Northern Suburbs at Leichhardt Oval this afternoon..
Bokser, who was part of the Crusaders system as a youngster, is now in his second year at Easts after a stint at Southern Districts.
“I’m 25 but I walk around like I’m a hundred,” he laughed.
“I’m a bit battered at the moment. I’ve got a sprained ankle which is fat and annoying and an inflamed ACL but I never miss a game.”
Bokser said before joining Easts, represented in ever grade grand final on Saturday and two Colts deciders on Sunday, he also had a stereotype of the famous rugby club.
“The stereotype I used to have when I played against Easts was that they were the rich boys from the east, the pretty boys.
“We have changed that a lot. No one wants to be known as that as a rugby team.”
Bokser said a special closeness has developed in the Easts camp this season.
“I describe Easts as a family away from home. Especially this year. We have boys from all over the world,” he said.
“We’ve been with each other for 10 months and I would do anything for any one of them.
“It’s a bit of a band of brothers. We put our body on the line for each other and we back each other.”
“As a captain, it’s pretty smooth sailing. My job is just to keep everyone on the same page. I really lead by actions and not words.”
“I have an easy job.’’
Randwick beat Norths for the 2023 Shute Shield with the loss a motivating factor for the Northern Suburbs club on Saturday.
SHUTE SHIELD AND CLUB RUGBY SCHEDULE FOR LEICHHARDT OVAL
Saturday
4th Grade: 8:40am EASTS V NORTHS
3rd Grade: 10:30am EASTS V RANDWICK
2nd Grade 12:30pm EASTS V MANLY
1st Grade 2:45pm EASTS V NORTHS
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