Parramatta Eels recruit Chris Sandow not daunted by Peter Sterling legacy

Paul Crawley

• From:The Daily Telegraph
• February 09, 2012

PETER Sterling's legacy won't be playing on Chris Sandow's mind when Parramatta's prized recruit wears the famous blue and gold No. 7 jumper for the first time this Saturday night.

In a first-up hitout for his new club against the Wests Tigers in Gosford, Sandow will step into one of the game's most daunting shadows.

Over the years, 30 other players have had a crack at filling Sterlo's boots but so far none have come close.

But asked yesterday if the expectation was a burden counting down to the game, Sandow just laughed.

"Nah man, I never saw him play ... I wasn't born until 1989," he said.

The Eels' last premiership was way back in 1986 - and since you only have to look at the long line of names who have attempted to return the club to its former glory.

But while playing up to Sterlo's legacy doesn't enter his thoughts, Sandow admits another great halfback made a huge impression on him last weekend - when he partnered Johnathan Thurston in the halves for the Indigenous All Stars.

He says he was blown away not so much at what Thurston said, but how he said it. How he took charge throughout the week and in the game, and commanded respect.

"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 alongside Thurston also sparked another ambition.

Sandow said it was his first rep game since he played for the Australian Schoolboys back in 2006.

And while he knows Cooper Cronk has a mortgage on the Queensland number seven for this year, you can't blame a bloke for dreaming.

"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."

Right now, all he wants is to do right by the Eels.

"It will be special playing with the guys you've put the hard yards in with for the last few months," he said.

Will he be nervous running out? "No. It's just another game of footy,' he said.

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