Any Eels fan will tell you, that the club has not produced a solid halfback, since the great Peter Sterling of the 1980’s, and it is probably true.
Now however, with Eels fans optimistic about their chances with Chris Sandow at the helm, the former Rabbitoh says that he is not fazed by the halfback legacy at the Eels.
“Nah man, I never saw him play … I wasn’t born until 1989,” he said.
The Eels have tried and tested many-a-halfback, with the likes of Jason Bell, Tulsen Tollett, Tim Smith, Jason Taylor, Jeff Robson, Brett Finch and many others, all trying, but failing to deliver that elusive premiership glory.
Sandow however is not focusing on the past so much, but rather on the future, and how he can help the Eels to victory.
“I have just got to be professional about it,’ he said.
“I can only play the best I can play and that’s all that matters. It’s a team sport, if everyone plays well we can do well.”
With the legacy of the Eels halfback role not in his mind, there was one halfback who Sandow was impressed by, and that is the game’s best half, in Jonathon Thurston.
“I just watched what he was doing during the week,” he explained. “He just keeps talking, telling blokes what to do … when he wants the ball, they give him the ball.
“It’s just about leading the team around. I think it is something I could add to my game, just talking a bit more and taking charge.
“I’ve never been a big talker on the field but it is something I can learn from.”
Playing in the All-Stars game, Sandow got his first taste of representative football since 2006, and when the time is right, he will eb ready to be a part of a representative team again.
Sandow knows however that in order to do that, he has to be playing very good football.
“It’s not on my mind at the moment, I’ve just got to play well for Parra and if I play well for Parramatta, who knows,” he said.
“But I won’t get too far ahead of myself. Cooper is a great player and he has been around for years, I won’t get ahead of myself yet.”
For Sandow, he is just eager to play for the Eels, and get on the field with the boys.
“It will be special playing with the guys you’ve put the hard yards in with for the last few months,” he said.