By Jonathan B Geddes

WHEN Warringah was hit with a frontrow crisis in the countdown to the Shute Shield finals, it was a 27-year-old club stalwart plucked out of fourth grade who became the team’s unlikely hero.

Tom Gee made his first-grade debut two weeks ago against Gordon after season-ending injuries to the club’s top three hookers, including the dynamic Wes Thomas, who sustained serious neck damage.

That situation was forced upon the Rats after being denied an exemption to bring in a new hooker because of their player safety concerns – a decision that can be appealed.

Gee played his third top-grade game for the Rats in Sunday’s gritty 31-26 semi-final win over an impressive Randwick side in a fierce contest at Pittwater Rugby Park.

He scored two first-half tries despite carrying a rib injury into the game, which eventually forced him to be replaced at halftime.

Gee, who has been at the club for nine years, still can’t really believe where he has found himself.

“It’s been a wild few weeks,” he told Rugby News after the game. “Fourth grade is where I have played all year.

“It still feels a bit weird, I don’t like people calling me a first grader- I still go by fourth grader to this day.

“I thought the dream (of playing first grade) might be dead. All I wanted to get was one, and I got the opportunity the other week.

“I have been trusted enough to have another couple of games. And everyone’s been super accommodating, getting around me, making sure that I’m across the detail, making sure that I’m feeling confident.”

FAST AND FURIOUS 

GEE has now followed in the footsteps of his dad, Michael, a Warringah icon, who made 192 top-grade appearances for the club.

“We might try to get 200 combined and call it a day,” Tom said with a chuckle.

Gee certainly faced a baptism of fire when he jumped three grades into the Shute Shield team.

 “I knew it’d be fast, but it’s faster than I ever thought, and there is no soft contact out there,” he said. “I’m kind of getting a bit more used to it, but still got a bit of way to go.”

He revealed he suffered a rib injury in the previous week’s win over Randwick and did it again after 10 minutes on Sunday.

“I couldn’t breathe too well, and it was unbelievably painful,” he admitted. “But I was like, I was going to keep going, keep going until I can’t.”

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

HE was super proud of the team’s effort to hold on and beat a desperate Randwick outfit, who were fighting to keep their season alive.

“Especially that last 10-15 minutes, they were pressing our line and putting us under, and we didn’t give up,” he said.    

And for the final seven and a half minutes, Warringah had to do it with 14 men after a player was yellow-carded                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Rats coach Josh Holmes said Gee was awesome, but doubts he will play again this season due to his ribs.

“We lost another two hookers across the weekend, so it’s tough at the moment,” he said.      

Holmes described Sunday’s gritty win as a real collective effort.    

“I think that last seven minutes, where we just did get penalised off the field, pretty much sums us up as a team and what we’re about,” he said.

“It was really good to see the boys get on the line and turn up for each other.

“I thought the first half was really good, we played some really good footy, and then the second half had some things to learn from.

“Randwick are a very good team, so it’s a good outcome, and we’re happy.”

Warringah will play Gordon on Saturday at Rat Park in a grand final qualifier, while Randwick’s season is over.