You may have to rack your brain and think back a while to remember him in the NRL but he was here, though for Rhys Hanbury, a former NRL player, he is now enjoying a successful stint at the Widnes Vikings in the English Super League and is enjoying it, re-signing with the club until the end of the 2016 season.
Hanbury, now 27, hails from Wollongong and made his senior debut with the South Sydney Rabbitohs before moving to the Wests Tigers in 2008, before his venture to England started when he signed with the now defunct Crusaders in 2010.
Able to cover both fullback and halfback, Hanbury is pleased to have his future settled and and is looking forward to playing for the Vikings for the next few years.
“It’s good to get my future settled,” said Hanbury.
“It was an easy decision to stay at the club and in the Super League competition, but returning home was definitely another big option for me and my partner. When I first arrived in this country, the original plan was to just give it a go for a couple of seasons at most, but we’ve been over here for four years now, which is a long time to be away from our family and friends. Having said that; we’re still enjoying ourselves and we’re confident that we’ve made the right choice.”
For Rhys, he is just enjoying his footy at Widnes as he looks to constantly improve.
“The building work that has been done at the club is there for all to see and even though we’re only half-way through the current season, we’ve already proven ourselves as a much stronger team than last year,” said Hanbury.
“Individually, before I picked up the hamstring injury, I reckon that I was probably playing some of the best footy of my life vigrx plus pills. Obviously I’m keen to build on that and not go backwards.
“The fans at Widnes have been great with me from day one. As a team, we go out-there each week to get them the wins they deserve, and as we continue to grow, hopefully our crowds will do the same.”
Hanbury, who was sought after by rival clubs is a handy player and his coach Denis Betts agrees.
“Rhys has really come on this year and is enjoying his rugby. Before he got injured he was definitely one of the form players in Super League,” said Betts.
“Positionally, he looks completely at home in the full back position and his pace, strength and bravery put him into some strong positions on the field, which he’s then able to exploit.
“We always knew in our mind that we wanted to keep Rhys, and it’s great news that we’ve agreed terms and secured him for the next three years.
“There’s quite a few of the lads at Widnes, who believe that representative rugby league is well within their reach, so being selected for The Exiles squad is obviously great news for Rhys. As a club it’s also another step on the ladder for us, and it’s good to see that our team is being spotted and one of our key performers has been recognised in this way.
“We’re not trying to make any statements with our signings, it’s more a case that Rhys is here, he wants to be here and we want him to stay here. Being out of contract at the end of the current season, we know that he could’ve chosen a number of clubs to go to.
“Ultimately, the decision was down to him and he chose to remain at Widnes, and we’re really pleased that he will be contributing massively towards the future of this club.”