By Jon Geddes

FORMER Australian Schoolboys Rugby captain Luke Gersekowski has resumed his role as a key player in Northern Suburbs’ premiership campaign after an amazing comeback from a jaw dropping injury.

The robust No.8 defied the odds by returning to the paddock two weeks after sustaining a serious mouth injury which damaged his teeth in the round three game against Randwick and was expected to sideline him for months.

“I copped a bit of a rogue elbow to the front of my mouth,” Gersekowski told Rugby News. “I was wearing a mouthguard but it knocked a couple of them (teeth) really loose in the front and busted up my gums.”

He underwent emergency surgery the following morning, had braces fixed to his teeth to reattach them and underwent root canal work.

“It was a bit of a nightmare,” Gersekowski admitted. “The surgeon said ‘if you want to play I’m not going to stop you, it’s up to you’.”

After missing the next game against Manly, he amazed everyone by going back on the field the following week in the local derby with Gordon, wearing a new mouthguard.

“I just wanted to get out there and play footy again,” he said.  

And his presence has proved a real positive for Norths. That was demonstrated  when he was part of a potent backrow with Brodie Leber and Boston Kerapa in their team’s convincing 49-21 win over Warringah at Rat Park on Saturday.

A NEW CHALLENGE

GERSEKOWSKI skippered the Australian Schoolboys side in 2016, which included the likes of Ryan Lonergan, Harry Wilson, Hunter Paisami and Fraser McReight.

He was playing with Tuggeranong Vikings in the Canberra competition before Norths pulled off a big coup by recruiting him this season.

“He was a big fish in a small pond in Canberra and probably hit the ceiling there,” Norths coach Zak Beer said.

Gersekowski said the Shute Shield is the premier club competition in Australia.

“I had a great time with the Vikings and absolutely loved it and I just wanted a new challenge to try something different,” he said.

Wanting to ensure he made the right decision, Gersekowski contacted each of last year’s top four Shute Shield clubs and sat down with all of them.

After weighing up all his options, Gersekowski got back to Beer and said he would love to play with Norths.

“Norths was the only place I was going to go,” he said. “Zak Beer was a massive part of it, he is a rising young coach and I really wanted to be a part of what he is building at Norths.”      

 After nine rounds Gersekowski has established himself as a central figure in the Norths’ team.

“He’s a leader now, he is our vice-captain and he is still only young,” Beer said.

Gersekowski still has the real ambition to get a crack at the higher levels like his former Aussie Schoolboy teammates.

“I’m always pushing, and there’s no better place to do it  than at Norths,” he said.        

BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN

NORTHS performance against Warringah was a big step up from the previous week’s win over Eastern Suburbs and reminded rivals that the club will be a genuine contender come finals time.

“That was a clinical Norths performance and that’s what we hold ourselves accountable for,” Beer said.

But the coach also knows that his team is still nowhere near reaching their peak.    

“It was a very gritty performance, we weren’t perfect,” Beer said. “At this stage of the season perfect would be lovely, but realistically we want progress.

“As we learnt last year, the season is a journey – we have one more week before the bye and that is what we are focussing on, progressing our game even further next week.”   

He said all eyes are now on this week’s game against West Harbour at Concord Oval.