‘Go after it’: Playmaker challenged to take control of Pride future
Matt Egan has been challenged to “go after it” and become the leader the Northern Pride needs as the Cairns club seeks and end to its near decade long premiership drought.
MATT Egan has been challenged to “go after it” and become the leader the Northern Pride needs as the Cairns club seeks and end to its near decade long premiership drought.
Egan is among the slew of re-signings announced by the club over the past few weeks, with the 25-year-old over the moon to have extended his stay in the tropics for a third season.
As the club returns for their first official pre-season training session on Tuesday evening, Egan will be joined by a consistent core of players who have been at the club for the past few seasons, a group who believe they are a team which can challenge for the premiership.
“We’ve improved every year, and had the same core group be with us for those years,” Egan said.
“We’ve obviously had some great talent leave, and we’ve got some great talent coming in.
“But the same core of boys has been there.
“And there’s a lot of belief – we honestly believe we can win a comp, and that’s the sort of belief we have day in, day out.
“If you don’t have that, you have already failed before you get on the field.”
The Pride reached out to Egan towards the end of the season to open discussions about staying at Barlow Park into 2023 and the playmaker happily obliged.
He’s found a home in Cairns, life is good off the field - and that will give him the freedom and mindset to put his best foot forward on it.
He is coming off a season in which he featured in 14 of a potential 20 games for the Pride (he was also 18th man on four occasions),
“It was a pretty easy one for us,” Egan said.
“I’m so grateful I got the opportunity to debut here, Northern Pride gave me the opportunity and I’ll forever be in their debt.
“I’m really excited. We had a great building year last year, so we’ll look to build off that again and continue into the season.
“(The 2022 campaign) was character building, for sure.
“I learned a lot as I do every year; where to improve, what I have to do better for myself.”
The return of Weipa product Seamus King-Smith will add a bit more pressure on Egan to retain his place in the starting side, but that challenge could take him to the next level - which is exactly what Pride powerbrokers want.
“My key message to Matt was in the 2022 review was to go after it,” Williams said.
“Seamus is back from Melbourne too, he’s going to push Matty, Evan (Child) and the likes all the whole way.
“I said to Matty don’t sit back and wait and expect it to happen, he has to lead from the front.”
He arrived at the end of 2020, playing seven Hostplus Cup games in 2021 before doubling that tally this year.
Of his 23 games, he’s won 11, lost 11 and drawn one - though both Egan and Williams are keen to see that balance shift towards the win column as the Pride chase a deep run in the finals.
“As a whole, and a unit, we’re geared to one goal,” Egan said.
“However we individually get there, we come together collectively. We have that belief as a team to get there.”
matthew.mcinerney1@news.com.au
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Originally published as ‘Go after it’: Playmaker challenged to take control of Pride future
