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REFORMED bad boy Jake Friend is on the verge of making a stunning NRL comeback for the Sydney Roosters.
Less than six months after having his contract terminated for repeated booze-fuelled incidents, during the week Friend secretly resumed training with the Roosters' Toyota Cup squad.
NRL boss David Gallop wrote a letter to Roosters boss Steve Noyce late last week clearing the way for Friend to resume playing next month.
We're told the 20-year-old hooker will play in the Toyota Cup before he's considered for NRL selection at some stage next month.
Noyce told us the club was delighted to have Friend back - just five months after he fronted the board and had his contract torn up.
"We brought this boy to the club from Queensland when he was 16 years of age," Noyce said. "If you're serious about your duty of care with these kids, then you sit down with the player and try to help him be a better person, not just a better footballer.
"He has undertaken counselling, working with people who understand professionally some of the challenges Jake was facing in his life.
"With no income, he needed to work, so he got a job, and a very public one, in a sandwich shop where people could see him.
"We formed a view in conjunction with his counsellors that he'd earned the right to come back into our system.
"He certainly won't be playing for us at this stage. We'll assess it again next month and if everything goes well, we'll get a contract sorted out and he'll play. Because of previous behaviour issues, there will be clauses in his contract.
"I think this case can show what our game can be really strong at. We can actually give young people the help and care that they need at different times in their life rather than just sacking them and chucking them out."
Friend began training with the under-20s last Tuesday and we caught up with him at a session yesterday morning.
"I really appreciate what Steve Noyce, Nick Politis and the club are doing to help me," Friend told us. "I've learned a lot of lessons from what happened last year because I've been steered in the right direction by people who care.
"I've always been hopeful that if I worked hard enough to get my life sorted, there would be another opportunity.
"I've trained hard, I've had regular counselling and I've worked in a sandwich shop for four months. As a person it's given me a whole new outlook and if I get another chance, I guarantee I'll make the most of it."
Gallop says the NRL will not stand in the way of the Roosters' plan to register a new contract next month.
"When Steve Noyce rang I told him this was potentially a really good story for the game," Gallop said.
"I've personally spoken to the guy who employs him at the sandwich shop. He was full of praise for his work ethic and how he'd been going there
Less than six months after having his contract terminated for repeated booze-fuelled incidents, during the week Friend secretly resumed training with the Roosters' Toyota Cup squad.
NRL boss David Gallop wrote a letter to Roosters boss Steve Noyce late last week clearing the way for Friend to resume playing next month.
We're told the 20-year-old hooker will play in the Toyota Cup before he's considered for NRL selection at some stage next month.
Noyce told us the club was delighted to have Friend back - just five months after he fronted the board and had his contract torn up.
"We brought this boy to the club from Queensland when he was 16 years of age," Noyce said. "If you're serious about your duty of care with these kids, then you sit down with the player and try to help him be a better person, not just a better footballer.
"He has undertaken counselling, working with people who understand professionally some of the challenges Jake was facing in his life.
"With no income, he needed to work, so he got a job, and a very public one, in a sandwich shop where people could see him.
"We formed a view in conjunction with his counsellors that he'd earned the right to come back into our system.
"He certainly won't be playing for us at this stage. We'll assess it again next month and if everything goes well, we'll get a contract sorted out and he'll play. Because of previous behaviour issues, there will be clauses in his contract.
"I think this case can show what our game can be really strong at. We can actually give young people the help and care that they need at different times in their life rather than just sacking them and chucking them out."
Friend began training with the under-20s last Tuesday and we caught up with him at a session yesterday morning.
"I really appreciate what Steve Noyce, Nick Politis and the club are doing to help me," Friend told us. "I've learned a lot of lessons from what happened last year because I've been steered in the right direction by people who care.
"I've always been hopeful that if I worked hard enough to get my life sorted, there would be another opportunity.
"I've trained hard, I've had regular counselling and I've worked in a sandwich shop for four months. As a person it's given me a whole new outlook and if I get another chance, I guarantee I'll make the most of it."
Gallop says the NRL will not stand in the way of the Roosters' plan to register a new contract next month.
"When Steve Noyce rang I told him this was potentially a really good story for the game," Gallop said.
"I've personally spoken to the guy who employs him at the sandwich shop. He was full of praise for his work ethic and how he'd been going there
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