by Paul Cook –

It was a daunting prospect for a 21-year-old fullback in his first full season of 1st grade club rugby.

A matter of minutes before he was about to take the field in the 2012 Shute Shield semi-final, Angus Roberts was informed that he would be assuming flyhalf duties for Sydney University in the crucial clash, after club stalwart Dan Kelly broke down in the warm-up.

But the manner in which the inexperienced Roberts dealt with the situation, guiding the Students around the park as if he had been there all his life to help see off Northern Suburbs 28-13, including a 13pt contribution of his own (one try, two penalties and a conversion), earmarked him for bigger things.

“When it’s that close to kick-off, you’ve just got to get on with it and focus on what you’ve got to do,” the current Sydney Stars pivot calmly told me at the time. “I didn’t think I was going that well in the first half but once you get the confidence, you can kind of roll with it.”

And roll with it he certainly did as one week later, in the grand final, he scored – and converted – the match-winning try to help Uni defeat Southern Districts and reclaim the Premiership they had lost the previous year to Eastwood. All of a sudden, he was one of the Shute Shield’s hottest properties, and with a newly inked two-year contract with the Melbourne Rebels in his back pocket, the sky was the limit.

But fairy tales don’t always have a happy ending. In a turn of events not wholly dissimilar to the travails of good friend and team mate Tom Kingston, Roberts’ early progress in his rookie Super Rugby year, somewhat hit the rails in his sophomore season.

“I was fortunate enough to have a good run in my first year but then I had a couple of shoulder operations and there was a change of coach,” Roberts explained to Rugby News earlier this week. “Tony McGahan came in and he brought in a side that he was trying to build and unfortunately, I wasn’t a part of that.

“It was a tough second year but while I would have loved to play better rugby when I got the chance, I enjoyed my experience at the Rebels and wouldn’t change too many things at all.”

Lining up a kick for the Rebels against the Cheetahs in 2014

So it was that after the briefest taste of life at the top table, Roberts returned to Sydney halfway through 2014 in the knowledge that his contract would not be renewed at the end of the year. Throwing himself back into club rugby with Uni, his run of misfortune took another twist when he dislocated an ankle, an injury which subsequently ruled him out for the majority of the inaugural NRC, a competition specifically designed as a shop window for young talent such as his.

It’s little surprise then, that Roberts embarked on this year’s competition with unbridled zeal, keen to exorcise a few demons and re-establish himself in what is the next best thing to Super Rugby in terms of the talent pool on display. But first and foremost, it was about playing some bloody footy.

Having eked his way back in slowly across the Shute Shield season, he finished up with 16 appearances (12 starts) in Sydney Uni’s 20 games, filling a number of different backline roles. But the chance to mix it with the best young players in the country, as well as testing himself against plenty of Super Rugby opposition, is the challenge he has been whetting his lips for all year.

“When I did come back for the last few games of the NRC last year, I was playing with quite a few injections so I wasn’t exactly fighting a hundred percent fit,” he reveals. “I was a bit underdone and it was a bit tough to get around at the time but I definitely enjoyed it and I knew what the level was like so coming into this year was a bit easier to adjust.

“It is a chance to bridge that gap between club rugby and Super Rugby and get some confidence back at a higher level. Hopefully I can put my best foot forward now but I’m just happy to be playing. I’ve had a bad run of injuries and I’m just happy to be out there.”

So far, so good.

A Sydney Stars side that promised much but failed to deliver first time round with only one win to their name, has kicked-off season two with a bang, racking up 95pts in victories over the North Harbour Rays (45-29) and Queensland Country (50-40), to sit second on the fledgling NRC ladder.

It’s early days of course, but those two wins – helped along by 27pts from Roberts, a tally that sees him on top of the points scorers charts – are a warning shot to the rest of the competition that this Stars outfit is ready to rumble. The class of 2014 is back with a few new additions and for Roberts, it is the improved balance within the squad that holds them in good stead.

“We blooded a lot of young fellas at the Stars last year that will all be better for the experience this time round and we’ve got a nice mix of older guys and younger guys now. I think we’ll do a lot better than we did last season as a result,” he reasons.

“For blokes like Jim Stewart, Jake Gordon and Matt Philip – all guys who are on the fringe of Super Rugby or have contracts already – the NRC was their first taste of a professional environment. They showed throughout the season with Uni that they are much better for that experience, they’re bigger and stronger and they now know what is expected of them, so they’ve already made a huge impact this time around.

“Also, having blokes like Dave Hickey and Dave Dennis come back, and James ‘Chibba’ Hanson on board for a couple of games, has been invaluable. These guys stem the flow a bit and they don’t get too excited out there, so it’s a good blend of experienced heads and young enthusiasm at the moment.”

Roberts puts on the afterburners against Manly in the Shute Shield semi-final – Photo: AJF Photography

While the balance may indeed be better across the park, it is the steady, guiding hand of Roberts that has also been a feature of the Stars’ early success. Settling into the no.10 jersey after months of wearing too many hats – “I’ve covered 10 and 15 for Uni this year and when we had a bad run of injuries, I played at 13 and even on the wing but I’ll always put my hand up and try and do what’s best for the team” – it is the knowledge that his position and his role within the side is pretty much locked down, that has seen a rebirth of both confidence and belief.

“Pete [head coach Peter Playford] has backed me from the start and told me I’d be the 10 for the start of the season and I’m very thankful for that. It gives me a lot of confidence going out there knowing that I’ve got a coach that backs me and backs my decisions as well.”

The relationship between Playford, who has stepped up from an assistant role to replace Waratahs’ bound Chris Malone as the man calling the shots, goes back a long way.

“I actually looked after him at the start of his career, I was his manager,” smiles Playford. “I like to work with talented people who have got the right mindset and Gus is well balanced, off-field and on-field. He’s got a beautiful pass but he’s also got the right business acumen. He just needs another shot and this game plan we’re playing at the Stars really suits him.”

The manner of Playford’s approach on a personal level clearly suits his young protégé too. A post-match interview with the mischievous but worldly former Waratah and Brumby winger is often an education in itself, and his offbeat management style provides a refreshing, albeit at times surreal, environment to work in.

“‘Playf’ has made it really enjoyable this year, he’s got a lot of interesting philosophies around challenging our curiosity as players and he’s already referenced Shakespeare and the Cirque de Soleil so far and we’ve also bought our own star in the Phoenix galaxy called ‘Sydney Stars – Twinkle, Twinkle’ as well, so it’s never boring!” laughs Roberts.

“He’s got some good ideas around the attacking side of the game and I think we’ve put together a good mix of playing tactically and running it when we’re in the right position to do so,” he continues. “We’re not putting pressure on ourselves by trying to run it out of our end every time, we’re actually getting it out and then playing when we’re in potential scoring positions.”

It’s true. A keynote of both Stars performances has been the amount of kicks from hand but it has been the accuracy and depth of those kicks that has impressed. Time and again Roberts, Tom Kingston and Harry Jones in particular, have executed almost inch-perfect clearances upfield to find grass, stay in play and turn their opposition around to apply pressure.

Step forward assistant coach Dan Parks.

“’Parksie’ has had a great impact and he’s put a fair bit of time into it as well,” says Roberts. “Kicking is going to be a huge part of our game this year, we don’t really want to play in our end, we want to be down there and territory is huge in the NRC, along with different forms of possession as well, and that’s why Pete’s got ‘Parksie’ in there, he’s a specialist in that area. He’s played a lot of Northern Hemisphere rugby and he brings a great attitude and a lot of passion for what he does and he’s really helped us out with the tactical kicking.”

Of course, having the 66-test veteran flyhalf on hand is no bad thing for a 24-year-old pivot trying to take his game up a few notches.

“I’ve had a number of good coaches over the years trying to help develop me as a a player,” says Roberts. “Chris Malone, who was in charge for my first year with Sydney Uni, he’s been a big influence; Todd Louden, who opened my eyes to the professionalism required to perform week-in, week-out and the discipline to follow a game plan. He always backed me and my decisions 100% and knew how to get the best out of me.

“And ‘Parksie’ is good because of his experience and his knowledge of tactical kicking, of defending at flyhalf, organising the guys around you and the all round team structure as well. Pete, ‘Parksie’, David Lyons and Davo [Tim Davidson] have put out a pretty set game plan for us to follow at the moment and he’s certainly a big help in making sure I stick to it.”

Trying to escape the clutches of Rays’ no.8, Sam Ward – Photo: AJF Photography

Next up for the Stars are Perth Spirit, last year’s runners-up but a side that will head to Leichhardt Oval on Saturday afternoon with it all to play for as they search for their first win of the season. Another victory for the home side would put them well on the way towards a semi-final spot, but Roberts feels the very nature of the NRC means that all bets will probably be off on an eventual champion until the final whistle has blown and the fat lady has well and truly belted out her last note.

“I’d like to think we’re a genuine chance,” he muses. “You have to go in to any game or any situation wanting to win and thinking you can because as soon as you think you can’t, you should probably give up. But you can never discount anyone, particularly in this competition.

“We scored three or four tries against the Rays in week one in the space of about eight to 10 minutes so it can happen pretty quickly, and the way the NRC is played, everyone is pretty tired out there because I think we’re playing on average about 10 minutes more footy with the law variations than we do in Super Rugby or Shute Shield. That opens up the game a bit more, which is why you’re seeing more points.

“It promotes attacking rugby and it definitely bridges the gap between Shute Shield and Super Rugby as well,” he continues. “But the big difference is the pace of it. Some teams have a set defence that they like to stick to but the speed of the game doesn’t really allow you to do that so when you see the space you’ve got to take it but when they’re running up you’ve got to make some smarter decisions. It definitely gives the 10’s like me a little bit more space towards the back end of the half if they’re up for it and have got the fitness to take advantage. I think it opens up the game a lot more for us.”

More opportunity to shine then but while the level headed young Roberts certainly wouldn’t say no to a second bite of the professional apple, he’s also wary of chasing the dream too hard and getting burned. Again.

Don’t underestimate that laid-back approach as a lack of ambition, it’s just that, for now, he simply wants to be afforded the luxury of doing what he loves doing, week-in, week-out, with his mates and let the cards fall as they may.

“It’s not all about trying to get to the next level, I’ve always played footy because I enjoy it,” he says. “However, given the opportunity again I think I’d be in a better place to succeed, I’ve got a couple of years more experience now and I know my game better. I think I was probably quite young when I got that first opportunity but I wouldn’t have had it any other way, I think it’s the best way to learn and I think I’m a better play for the experience.

“I’m working full-time in Sydney now and also just finishing my degree, so I’ll look passively overseas,” he finishes. “Getting the chance to play professionally was amazing and I’m very grateful for the opportunity and if it came knocking again I’d be more than willing to take it but at the moment, I’m happy to be living back in Sydney and just enjoying my footy again.”