Braden Hamlin-Uele can still recall the post-training workouts from Paul Green that made him consider whether the NRL was the right career path for him.
“After every single session he would make me do them,” Hamlin-Uele told NRL.com.
“Every time, I’d have to do five kilometres in under 20 minutes on the rower. And if I didn’t get it the first time, he’d make me do it again until I did.”
Deep down inside, likely not far from where his stomach once churned on the rower in the Townsville heat, Hamlin-Uele knows there was more to those workouts than just fitness.
It was Green’s way of forging a mental fortitude in the powerhouse prop that would hold him in good stead well beyond his years in North Queensland.
A talented under-20’s player who debuted under Green at the Roosters in 2013, Hamlin-Uele journeyed north in 2015 to reunite with his former coach and learn from some of the best players in the game – from Johnathan Thurston and Gavin Cooper to Kangaroos props Matt Scott and James Tamou, and rising star Jason Taumalolo.
His lack of application, however, saw his career stall, with the Junior Kiwis representative spending the best part of 18 months in either reserve grade or Green’s office.
“I definitely could have entered the NRL if I hadn’t been such a little s*** off the field and caused the dramas that I had,” Hamlin-Uele said.
“It was completely self-inflicted.
“I was just being a part-time athlete as some boys would say.
“Greeny was hard but fair to me in that time. He knew what he wanted and what he wanted was to win. He wasn’t afraid to have a hard conversation with me when I probably was.
“To get called into his office a few times wasn’t ideal but ultimately, he was the man to put his faith and trust in me to be able to don that Cowboys jersey for the first time.
“He trusted me to do that, and I’ll be forever thankful and grateful to him.”
Green’s playing career saw him start at the Sharks in 1995 – winning the Rothmans Medal and playing 95 games in the Shire – before moving to the Cowboys in 1999.
For Hamlin-Uele, his journey was the polar opposite, leaving Green and North Queensland to join Cronulla in 2018 where he once again found himself playing more reserve grade than first grade and doubting his longevity in rugby league.
Five years on, those doubts have subsided.
“I think I’m just coming of age and maturing,” Hamlin-Uele reflected.
“It took me a while to wake up and actually see that I want to do this for a living, and I can actually do it if I want to. Even though I am 28 and it’s taken me a while to get to this point, it’s a good feeling to finally have it under control and progress forward.
“I think my story shows that I definitely have some sort of resilience in me to be able to not just give up and throw it all away and go back to New Zealand to live with mum and dad.
“It’s shown me that I can actually dig deep which I want to, which is something I can definitely use on the field now.
"In those times when it’s tough and you’re in the washing machine of kick-chase and up-and-back, I can actually enjoy the process of a game of footy now and not just the end result.
“It’s better late than never but I’m definitely relishing where I am at the moment.
“You’re always a work in progress, that’s something Fitzy has taught me.
“You’re never arrived to where you want to be, and even if you do, you just move the goal posts back further so you can try and get a bit better.
“I’m not going too bad, but there’s a lot of in-between moments in games that I can work on. I get caught slipping or lose concentration at times so I know I’m still working on that to try and get myself to be the best version of what I can be.”
Players and officials will be led out by Green’s children Jed and Emerson on Thursday as the Sharks and Cowboys pay tribute to a man who made significant contributions to both clubs in their first meeting since his sudden passing last year.
Just days before his passing in August, Green was among the Cronulla faithful celebrating Old Boys day as the Sharks triumphed over local rivals in the Dragons.
For Hamlin-Uele, it was the first opportunity to see his former mentor since departing the Cowboys.
“It was a special night and I’m sure everyone else that saw him was as grateful and thankful to be able to have seen him when we did,” Hamlin-Uele said.
“It was such a shock when we found out what had happened. It was an emotional time but I’m just grateful and honoured to have met him and played under him. He showed a lot of faith and trust in me, and I’ll be forever grateful to him for giving me an opportunity.
“One of the big things we’re about as a club is service over self. It’s an attitude that we’ve done a good job at showing as a team in the past few weeks and I’m confident that we can show it again on what will be a special night for both teams.
“As long as we keep building and improving, who knows where the road ends.”
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