Angus Crichton takes big step in return to NRL with comeback game for Roosters' NSW Cup side
Angus Crichton made a timely comeback to rugby league — and his next match could be the Anzac Day blockbuster against the Dragons.
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The Roosters will decide within the next 72 hours whether to rush Angus Crichton back for one of the biggest games of the year — an Anzac Day clash with St George-Illawarra.
How the Test and NSW State of Origin forward recovers from his first hitout since last November will be crucial to the decision.
Part of Crichton’s return to play plan, which began on Saturday in NSW Cup for the Roosters against Newtown at Henson Park, is a carefully orchestrated set of boxes that need to be ticked.
The plan has been created after Crichton sought professional help for bipolar disorder.
The check-list includes his ability to manage the emotions and mental aspect of both preparing for a game and so too, the physical and emotional recovery from a game.
Given the emotion and build-up of the traditional ANZAC Day clash, it could be a case of too much too soon, for Crichton.
It must be stated, Crichton didn’t look short of conditioning during his 80-minute effort against Newtown.
In warm conditions, he carried strongly and made his tackles.
There’s no denying the Roosters could use Crichton.
Clunky to begin the season, the Chooks are likely to be without forward Nat Butcher for the Anzac Day clash after being charged with a hip drop by the NRL match review committee.
Butcher is facing a one match suspension.
The Roosters won’t feel pressured to fast-track Crichton given their rich depth in reserve grade.
Alongside Crichton in the NSW Cup on Saturday was Eels recruit Nathan Brown and veteran prop Dylan Napa, while hard-running forward Sitili Tupouinua is due to play for North Sydney on Sunday.
“Coming off a loss against the Sharks, they’ve got some guys coming back that even if Angus isn’t right to go yet, they can call on,’’ Former Test winger and Newtown Jets recruit Josh Mansour said.
“I reckon a few boys in first grade would be looking over their shoulder and worried about their position.’’
NRL STARS SUPPORT CRICHTON IN RUGBY LEAGUE RETURN
Only a few months ago there were fears that Angus Crichton may never play rugby league again after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
On Saturday, the Kangaroos, NSW State of Origin and Roosters forward took his first steps towards returning to the game’s biggest stage of the NRL.
And given the Roosters’ position outside the top-eight, his comeback through the NSW Cup - reserve grade — could never be more timely.
The records will show that the Roosters were soundly beaten 40-18 by Newtown.
Really though, nobody cared.
It was a day that the scoreboard attendant at old Henson Park could’ve been excused for joining the punters in the stand.
The result didn’t matter.
What counted was Crichton, showing the plumbers, brickies and stockbrokers watching from up on the hill, that life doesn’t have to stop for a mental health disorder that impacts one in 50 adult Australians.
With the right professional advice, support and love from those closest, life can go on.
On a closely-guarded path back to the game following several weeks in rehabilitation, Crichton is one step closer to achieving a goal that seemed forlorn only a few months ago.
Even now, his inner-circle are making no promises. His ability to manage his emotions and the adrenaline high of playing footy again in front of spectators will be part of managing his return.
In positive signs, although Crichton was kept away from the media, he happily spent 20 minutes after the match posing for selfies with fans on the field.
However, the Roosters fraternity were a closed shop in discussing Crichton’s return, with his teammates unwilling to comment.
Instead, former Test winger and Jets winger Josh Mansour spoke for the masses.
“It’s obviously been a tough couple of months for Angus, but as we saw, he’s still got the skill, the strength and he’ll only be better from here,’’ Mansour said.
“We all know the quality player he is, so he was a player to watch for us and we knew it was his first game back, so we also wanted to target him as much as we could.
“Ultimately though, I think every league fan would be happy just to see Angus back out on the footy field today.’’
The collective solidarity for Crichton was in the heartfelt applause of the crowd as he jogged on to old Henson prior to kick-off.
In the crowd too, were the people that appreciate the gravitas of Crichton’s comeback — and just how far he’s come.
His father Charlie and mother Pip joined a collection of Crichton’s support crew that included his manager Dave Rawlings, Roosters coach Trent Robinson and assistants Brett Morris and Matt King.
Teammates Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Lindsay Collins, Billy Smith and Kiwi international Jason Nightingale, were all in attendance.
Sharks head coach Craig Fitzgibbon sat with Robinson as Crichton got back to work.
Sharks stars Nicho Hynes, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Kade Dykes, Teig Wilton and Jack Williams were also in the stands to witness Crichton’s comeback.
Playing in the same backrow position that Crichton played in his last game of football, for Australia in the World Cup final last November, the 27-year-old punched out 80 minutes.
Seriously powerful in the torso, making him difficult to manage with the ball in hand, Crichton may have been down on match conditioning, but his elite-level class was there for all to see.
He went close to scoring a try for the Roosters in the second-half, only to collide with the goal post.
Prior to the match, Robinson had indicated he didn’t expect Crichton to be in NSW Cup for too long.
“Physically he’s in really good shape so I don’t think it’ll be too long. A good indication will be the weekend’s game, but I feel like it won’t be too long,” Robinson said.
“The plan is for him to get started and go back and play back row.
“He’s been in really good shape and he’s been really good at training so it’s time to start playing. He missed a lot of that pre-season period, and you can’t replicate that during the season, so we need to ramp it up during reserve grade.”
Originally published as Angus Crichton takes big step in return to NRL with comeback game for Roosters' NSW Cup side
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