The last person you'd expected to see looking glum was a Kootingal-Moonbi player. But as Rhys Davis's Roosters teammates celebrated a famous win, at the Kootingal Hotel, he battled pain and despair.
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A short time earlier, Davis had exited the Roosters' home clash against the Kangaroos with a groin injury.
The young halfback, who had been shifted to fullback for the clash to cover the loss of regular No. 1 Jack Rumsby, then watched the rest of the second half from the sideline as his teammates staged a most remarkable comeback en route to a 34-32 golden-point win.
As the second-placed Roosters attack a maiden first-grade premiership in the back end of the season, the 20-year-old expected to be out for a number of weeks. He was sidelined earlier in the year when he did the same area of the groin, but said it "hurts a lot more" this time.
Still, Davis was optimistic he will play again in 2024 - a year in which he has solidified his place as a Roosters playmaker after being groomed for the role when he joined the club from the Cowboys in 2021.
He provided the injury update after limping from the bar at the Kootingal Hotel and taking a seat at the venue's outdoor section on a cold night, having warned that he would not be great company.
However, he soon settled into the conversation and revealed a world in which a long-running Tamworth business plays a pivotal role in his life.
I hope I'd be easygoing ... but intense at the same time, as in training wise and footy wise.
John's Auto Service is owned by his grandfather, John Varga, and it is there that Davis toils as a fully qualified mechanic alongside his two younger brothers, Levi and Brodhi, and two of their uncles.
"Stressful," he replied, when asked what it was like to work with so many family members, but added: "I love working there."
John, whom Davis calls Pop, was "a great" boss and "an even better" man, his grandson said.
Davis's elder brother, Mitchell Simmons, also used to work at John's Auto Service, but is now in the mines.
And when Brodhi is not learning the family trade, you can often find him at Kootingal as a member of the Roosters' under-18 side
Davis is a graduate of that outfit. He said it would be exciting to one day play alongside his sibling at the Roosters.
Asked to described himself in three words, Davis said: "I hope I'd be easygoing ... but intense at the same time, as in training wise and footy wise," while "growing up" was the biggest challenge he had faced in life.
On the cusp of his 21st birthday, he said: "Slowly pulling my head in, I guess."
Mark Bode
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
