Jamie Dowling discusses move to Currumbin alongside fellow former Titan Shane Gray
A change of scenery and career-saving surgery have given Currumbin recruit Jamie Dowling a new lease on life as he settles into the Eagles’ Rugby League Gold Coast surroundings.
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A CHANGE of scenery and career-saving surgery have given Currumbin recruit Jamie Dowling a new lease on life as he settles into the Eagles’ Rugby League Gold Coast surroundings.
An Intrust Super Cup regular with Burleigh between 2014-18, the 29-year-old utility back and fellow former Titan Shane Gray headline a host of new faces at Galleon Way as Currumbin eye a breakthrough A grade premiership.
Dowling, who made 10 NRL appearances for Gold Coast in 2012-13, underwent a double groin reconstruction at the end of Burleigh’s 2018 ISC campaign and played just one A grade game for the Bears at the back end of last season.
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He was prepared to head into retirement in 2020 before a call from new Eagles coach and former Burleigh ISC teammate Martin Griese planted the seed for a change of clubs.
Reinvigorated by the move, Dowling now hopes he can help Currumbin build on their preliminary-final appearances in 2018-19.
“I’m feeling good. It’s probably a refreshing change because I’ve been at Burleigh my whole life,” he said.
“I was at Burleigh in 2018 and for the last couple of games I was having to get anaesthetic injections (in my groin) just to get through games. I came back towards the end of the A grade season (last year) and they only had 3-4 games until finals and I just thought I was too underdone.
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“It’s been very enjoyable going to Currumbin, there’s a lot of young kids. It was probably (about) getting back and having fun with footy again.
“Sometimes you can get into a habit and routine and it becomes a second job for you almost. I was going to hang them up (retire) but then I had a mate message me, Ayden Lee, saying come have a game at Currumbin.
“I got the call from Griesey saying he wanted me down there and it just went from there. We’ve got a few experienced heads there, which is good.
“Anything less than finals would be not what we’re hoping for.”
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Versatile forward Gray, who made a single Titans appearance in 2013, Lee, Bryce Thomas and Keanu Tukiri have all joined Currumbin after playing together under Griese in Tugun’s title-winning 2016 side, while Phil Ramage, Blake Morrison, Daniel Mortimer and Bailey Gill have departed.
Dowling said he was relishing the chance to play alongside Gray once more following their time with the Titans.
“I think we played one game together (for Gold Coast) against the Cowboys at Skilled Park (in June 2013),” he said.
“It started with the Titans and we played together at Burleigh on the other side of that. We’re always in touch. Shane wasn’t thinking about playing this year but when he heard a few mates were going to play, he jumped on board.
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“I’m not going to put a timeframe on how long I play. If I’m still enjoying it at the end of this year I’ll go around again.”
The RLGC A grade season kicks off next month.
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