Mat Rogers remembers Darwin as the place where a starry-eyed teenager once watched the Canterbury Bulldogs in a rare game of top-level rugby league in the Top End.
On Saturday night, the 33-year-old veteran will return to Darwin – this time as one of the star attractions when the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans take on Cronulla in a pre-season trial match at Richardson Park.
“I remember as a kid that Canterbury went up there and played a game so it was very exciting for me as a youngster to see the NRL players come to town,’’ said Rogers.
“To be able to be one of those players going back at a later date is pretty exciting, I know what a thrill it was for me, so I’m really looking forward to going up there and seeing a lot of the kids.’’
Rogers’ association with Darwin came about through his late father Steve, who was the CEO of the Darwin Rugby League during the early to mid 1990s.
His parents lived there for several years while he attended boarding school.
“My parents lived there so I’m looking forward to getting up there and having a game of footy and seeing some old friends,’’ said Rogers.
“Rugby league has got a really strong following up there and the league went from strength to strength while dad was up there.
“I think he even coached the Nightcliffe Dragons to a premiership one year (1992) so it was exciting times.’’
The dual-international, about to embark on his 15th season at the top, said he felt better than ever heading into his first hit-out for 2009.
“I think everyone’s pretty up-beat,’’ said Rogers.
“It was funny, we were warming up yesterday and Mark Minichiello jumped out of his skin and said ‘footy is around the corner’. It was like he was a big kid.
“We’ve been belting each other at training for so long, we’re looking forward to belting someone else in another coloured jersey.’’
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