He is intensely disliked by Dragons fans, but Tigers fans love him – and now, they will get the opportunity to watch him play for the next few years, after Tigers utility Tim Moltzen signed a new 3-year deal with the club, until the end of the 2015 NRL season.
After what has been a rollercoaster ride for Moltzen over the last 12 months, the Tigers utility is keen to have his future for the next few years sorted.
“It’s good to have some security for the next three years and be at a club I love with a lot of my close mates so I’m very happy with the decision and grateful that the club and I could come to an agreement,” Moltzen said.
With the reneging of a potential Dragons deal leading to a kerfuffle among Dragons fans and Tigers fans, Moltzen admits that the uncertainty of his immediate playing future, as well as the repercussions and furore on the Dragons saga, made it difficult for him to focus solely on footy.
“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t affect me at the start of the year, the pre-season was pretty tough as well,” he said.
“Obviously there was a lot of media hype around it but the focus for me was I really just wanted to get back out and play footy and try not to worry about it.
“It was tough heading out there to Kogarah (in Round 3) and losing the game on the back of that probably made it a little bit harder, but I feel like I’m on the other side of that now.
“There was a lot built up and I probably let it get to me a fair bit and I went into my shell as well, but on the other side of that now I’m just excited to be back playing some footy at a good club and alongside some of my good mates.”
Moltzen, whilst regarded as a utility, having been moved around from fullback to centre to five-eighth and to halfback, sees himself as a fullback – and wants to make that number 1 spot is own in the future.
“I’m really enjoying myself at full-back at the moment and I’m hoping to finish the year off there and then I can focus in the pre-season on full-back as well,” he said.
“Obviously we’ve got some talented youngsters coming through the ranks so I guess it’s my job to keep them at bay and hold onto that No.1 jersey and that’s going to be my focus.”