ERIC GROTHE didn't think he wanted it badly enough. Not as much as the coach did, not as much as his teammates did, and not as much as the young upstart who might be waiting on the wing did.

When new Parramatta coach Stephen Kearney addressed his players upon taking over from Daniel Anderson, he told them what he wanted from the team. And Grothe, who feels far more at home with a bass guitar in his hand than on the end of a back line, knew he couldn't give it to him.

''He spoke about wanting it badly, and how if you wanted to be a champion, and if we wanted it to be a successful year, we needed to want it badly … so I thought I'd just get out of the way and let some young fella take my spot,'' Grothe said yesterday, a day after his surprise retirement.

Full story:

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/i-want-freedom-grothe-sidesteps-hectic-future-to-end-an-eels-era-20101214-18wvi.html

 

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  • As much as I love seeing Eric playing, I actually take my hat off to him, as he did the right thing. He knew he couldn't give what Kearney wanted, so he was honest enough to put his hand up and say, you know what?, this aint for me.

    I look forward to seeing him on the Matty Johns show in 2012.

  • Fair enough!

    He always did say that he was a struggling muso, playing footy while waiting for that big gig.
  • Lazy prick.............lol

  • In retrospect (or you might even say without the benefit of retrospect) both parties should have called it quits last year. It would have been great to be able to say goodbye to Guru at that final match for Cayless as well. When your body starts failing you, and you can't train properly, you just cop even more injuries and it's just time to go. 

  • You know its a shame. he never wanted it badly enough. if only he had shelved his music plans till after retirement and really applied himself, he could have been as good as his father. he could have been one of the most feared wingers in the game .

  • haha, nice

     

  • True, but wasn't that before he had found out that his New Coach was Sgt Hartman (Kearney) from 'Full Metal Jacket' who coincidentally was a real drill Sargent before they picked him up for the role in the movie.

  • Yep, started his career in film. Vincent Donofrio also got his start in Full Metal Jacket, he was only a bouncer at the time and had no experience in acting.

  • I found Eric's last few words interesting '' Grothe acknowledged his move represented the end of an era. ''Unless I have a little bloke and call him Eric Grothe junior junior … hopefully he's not as good as me, so I'll know how my dad feels.''

    ... Eric I think if you had your time again and wanted it a little more you could have been anything.. But in saying that I love watching you play  :  )

    . All the best mate.

  • I think he was one of the more feared wingers in the game. No one would want to run at him because they knew the big hits he could pull off and when in attack he was a quickish winger who could topple anyone over given the chance
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