Friday Interview - Gareth Widdop: From Old Brods to Melbourne

He would be at work this morning and looking forward to a few beers and joining his mates for a game at Old Brodleians RUFC tomorrow.

Carlisle are the visitors in a fixture which will be watched by a few dozen people, the outcome more important to the Cumbrians, who are striving to stave off relegation from North One East.

However, Widdop and his family uprooted to Victoria, Australia four years ago and so, instead, following a staggering transformation of fortunes, he now finds himself gearing up to play for NRL premiers Melbourne Storm against Super League champions Leeds Rhinos.

Throw in the fact that if coach Craig Bellamy does select him, the spectacle in front of around 30,000 fans at Elland Road will mark his senior debut, and it all becomes just a little too fanciful.

"It's worked out well," said Widdop, 20, in possibly the

biggest understatement ever uttered.

"It is surreal but it's true. If we'd not moved to Oz, I'd be playing some local rugby union with a few of my mates and my career would have been working somewhere in a nine 'til five job.

"I'd been on Halifax's scholarship since I was about 12 but no one else had been interested over here and I had started just playing union with my mates.

"I always thought I was good enough (to turn professional) as I'd played since I was five but the opportunities aren't great over here, especially coming from Halifax. If you're from Leeds or Hull, it's a bit easier to go through the lower grades.

"Just before we left to go to Oz, I was looking to pick up a scholarship at Wigan but it was nothing too serious and nothing happened."

Instead, Widdop started his new life Down Under and, having arrived in the Victorian capital, swiftly looked for somewhere to have a run-out.

"I was obviously going to play rugby but didn't know where I'd end up," he explained, his Yorkshire accent still recognisable beneath the Aussie twang.

After featuring for a local team, Melbourne's Academy spotted what all of Super League had missed and handed Widdop – whose father, Gary, played for Keighley – an opportunity.

He made the most of it. Widdop, a skilful goal-kicking full-back who has also been tested at stand-off, progressed through the Academy side and showed enough promise to earn a place in Storm's Under-20s squad.

Having inspired them to a Toyota Cup success last year, the first in the club's history, the 'Pom' won promotion to Bellamy's senior squad, earning a two-year, full-time contract with the club who have appeared in each of the last four NRL Grand Finals.

"It's been the best move I ever made," admitted the player who will be hoping to deal with the pressure in Sunday's game as impressively as he has the sudden media storm surrounding his return to England.

"It's been a long journey over the last four years and I never thought I'd be back here playing rugby.

"I've been back on holiday but I always wanted to be here playing against the big teams in Super League. I just never imagined I'd be doing it with the best club in the world. I'd never even dreamed of it."

Bellamy announces his squad later today and Widdop, with his versatility and an impressive display in Sunday's friendly at Harlequins, is expected to get a place on the bench.

Given he is a Bradford Bulls supporter, who avidly watched that club's World Club Challenge triumphs as a child, potentially making his bow versus their arch-rivals Leeds adds further spice to the scenario.

"If I do get the opportunity for it to happen it will be mind-blowing," said the player who started out as a junior at the King Cross club in Halifax and whose family have made the trip to watch. "I never thought this would happen. I'll be in the mix but if get an opportunity I'll take it with both hands.

"If not, it's just an experience coming over here and being around the world's best players."

One of those is Billy Slater, the Storm's sublime full-back who, on his last appearance at Leeds, scored a hat-trick in Australia's Four Nations final victory to break English hearts.

Even considering Widdop's remarkable rise, ousting such a formidable talent is unthinkable.

"My favourite position is full-back but obviously there's Billy," he said with a knowing smile. "I'm learning from the best there is, though, so I'm only going to be better for it.

"I was a bit shy when I first joined up with the senior squad. You don't really want to approach them but they're good blokes, always willing to help you out and always giving little tips.I've learned so much off Billy in the space of three or four months."

Widdop's last fixture on home soil, meanwhile, was also in a final – as a 16-year-old for Old Brods' junior side competing for the Yorkshire Cup.

The stakes are a little higher now.

He admits he would like to return and play in Super League at some point and would "love" to play for the Bulls but, with two years remaining on his Storm deal, is in no hurry.

Neither has he decided where his allegiance lies when it comes to international football (Widdop will be able to obtain an Australian passport on residency grounds next year).

It says plenty when all these questions are being asked and he has yet to even make a competitive first-team appearance.

However, it is abundantly clear, given his story so far, that Gareth Widdop does not do anything in the usual manner.