Charlie who? Finance broker readies for Tigers debut
Tom Wark |
Drumming up new business has been put on hold for finance broker Charlie Murray as he makes himself known to teammates before his fairytale Wests Tigers debut.
Murray spent time in Gold Coast and Melbourne’s systems before being brought down to Sydney by the Tigers on a train-and-trial deal this year.
He’s only just settled into the joint and learned all his teammates’ names, but Murray is now preparing to come off the bench for Benji Marshall’s side against Penrith on Sunday.
The Narromine-born forward hasn’t yet had the confidence to offer his financial expertise to his Tigers teammates before finding his feet in first grade.
“I only just got to know them, I think some of them only just worked out my name was Charlie,” Murray said on Wednesday.
Murray nearly gave the game away before a Tigers lifeline convinced him to give breaking into the NRL one last crack this year.
With as many as 66 reserve-grade games under his belt, is a fair wait for a chance in the big league.
“I think I played in nearly 70 Cup games so when those numbers start to add up you think it might have got away,” Murray said.
“Last year I was scratching my head a bit but then I got given this opportunity at the end of the year and I’ve just taken it with both hands.”
The 23-year-old says after leaving the Burleigh Bears for the Tigers, he’s happy for his brokering career to take a back seat, at least temporarily.
“I was going to stay in Queensland but then this came and I just thought one more opportunity, I’ll have one last crack,” Murray said.
“I’ve been in Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne, so you’ve gotta get your stuff together and start thinking about jobs and career.
“So I’m like ‘Oh, one more crack, I’m 23, I’m not too old,’ but then you want to get started with your life.”
The forward is confident his long experience learning off players and coaches at multiple clubs will set him up well for the footy-based challenges he’ll face on Sunday.
“You got Cam Munster, Harry Grant, all those big guys,” Murray said.
“I only did pre-seasons there but I learned a lot from Craig (Bellamy) so it was a great experience.”
Murray’s family is now largely based in Laurieton on the NSW mid-north coast and says their support was crucial in encouraging him to persevere with his rugby league aspirations.
“Parents (and) partner over the moon, they’ve ridden the highs and lows with me so it’s a credit to them,” Murray said.
AAP
