Roosters’ Mitchell Aubusson to retire at end of NRL season
Long regarded as one of the most underrated players in the league, Mitchell Aubusson may have been lost to the game if it wasn’t for one of rugby league’s most revered figures.
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Roosters backrower Mitchell Aubusson, one of the great clubmen of the modern age, will retire at the end of the 2020 season.
The news comes as star backrower Boyd Cordner is expected to ease the club’s injury struggles by making a return for Friday night’s clash with Brisbane.
Currently sidelined due to a wrist injury, Aubusson is as Rooster as they come.
He was signed as a teenager from Ballina by the legendary Arthur Beetson, and through his 14-year NRL career he’s outlasted a score of bigger names to become just the third player in the club’s 112 year history to play 300 matches.
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“I was lucky enough to be picked up by Artie Beetson, he was sitting on the hill during a trial game of a school carnival,” Aubusson said.
“I wasn’t too sure who he was, but mum and dad were really happy to meet him.
“(The club) It’s something I’ve invested a lot of time in, it’s very close to my heart.
“It’s something I feel like I’ve had a big part in helping build, and I want to see that continue in the future. It’s a place for me I’ll always call home.”
Aubusson won’t be lost to the Roosters in retirement - he’s making plans to stay on with the club in an off-field capacity in 2021.
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After all, the Roosters have been his home since he was a kid and even if he’s hanging up the boots he’s got no desire to leave them behind.
“That’s something I’ve worked on hard recently, to make sure I can stay involved with the club when I retire,” Aubusson said.
“I still want to have something to do with this place for sure, it’d be crazy to give that up.”
After finishing school, Aubusson moved to Bondi and has been with the Chooks ever since, becoming a fan favourite and one of the most versatile and underrated players of his time.
He’s started at least one game at every position on the field bar wing, fullback, halfback and prop with his utility value and professionalism making him an invaluable piece of the Roosters dynasty.
A veteran of three premiership wins and four grand finals, Aubusson needs just one more appearance to equal Anthony Minichiello’s club record of 302 first grade matches.
“I haven’t thought too much about it to be honest. People that know me know I’m not too fussed with records - it’s about another premiership for me, it’s about grinding hard with these guys here in this building and going after something special with this group,” Aubusson said.
“It’s why I play this game and why I’m with this club.”
Aubusson is expected to return before the finals with Cordner’s imminent comeback a serious boost to the club’s chances of winning a third straight title.
The Tricolours have weathered a fearsome injury storm but the prospect of players returning, and the arrival of Sonny Bill Williams, has them well-placed for another late-season run that could end in a third consecutive premiership.
It would ensure Aubusson retires in the best fashion possible, and it’s all the 32-year-old is focused on as his career winds down.
“Individually, it’d mean the world to me - but what it means for the guys in this building, the people in this inner sanctum who have worked so hard for a lot of years, that’s what it’s about,” Aubusson said.
“It’s about all of us achieving a goal we’ve all gone after. There’s nothing better, that’s why I play a team sport, for everyone to feel that success.”