Canberra Raider Nick Cotric’s roller coaster 2019 NRL season
Injury and suspension have meant Nick Cotric’s season hasn’t matched that of his Canberra Raiders. He’s using it as motivation to be the Green Machine’s finals X-factor.
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From the high of an Origin debut to the low of being the only player to be sent off so far this season, 2019 has been a roller coaster ride of Canberra’s Nick Cotric.
While his side’s season has been on an upward trajectory, Cotric has faced unforeseen turns including his first serious injury and suspension.
It’s the kind of adversity of which Cotric, 20, is unaccustomed, having played in every game since making his NRL debut back in round one in 2017.
“It was a bit different this year being in and out of the side because of injury and the ban but it was a big learning curve,” he said.
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“Mentally it was very different, seeing the boys out there winning and not being part of that was hard for me. It was a roller coaster but I think it’s the kind of thing that has made me a bit stronger, to be honest.”
Cotric’s first hurdle came after he suffered a grade two ankle syndesmosis strain in round 14 against Cronulla.
Until then, Cotric hadn’t spent any extended time on the sidelines.
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“After playing in Origin I had a little tweak and then against the Sharks that same ankle just went the wrong way. It was my first serious injury ever actually and it kept me out for almost four weeks,” he said.
The untimely injury ruled him out of the remainder of the Origin series after he made his debut for NSW in game one.
But the outside back’s season was further punctuated with time away from the field when the Tuggeranong Valley Dragons junior became the first — and so far only — player to be sent off in 2019.
Cotric was charged with a grade-three dangerous throw after a tackle on St George Illawarra’s Tim Lafai went horribly wrong in round 17.
The flyer opted to take the early plea and was suspended for three weeks amid commentary he deserved to be rubbed out for even longer.
But Cotric told The Daily Telegraph he went out of his way to avoid all the media attention during that difficult period.
“I didn’t look too much into the media hype that come out of it,” he said.
“It happened so fast. I lost balance because he’s such a big man too, he tipped over and I went over the top of him.
“It was in no way intentional, it was an accident. It just went wrong, I copped the three weeks and I trained hard that whole time.”
Despite coming through the junior ranks as a right centre, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has Cotric plying his trade on the left wing.
But injuries to the right-edge combination of Joseph Leilua and Jordan Rapana at different stages of the year have forced Stuart to move Cotric into his preferred position at right centre.
It’s set up a mouth-watering battle between Cotric and boom Cronulla rookie Bronson Xerri on Sunday afternoon at PointsBet Stadium.
“It’s going to be a great match-up. He’s been going really well for his first season. He’s strong and fast. I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Cotric said.