By MARK CASHMAN

At the end of 2017 well-travelled Southern Districts tight-head prop Tim Metcher had had a gut full of rugby.

Three shoulder reconstructions, tearing a hamstring off the bone and numerous other niggles along with a lack of consistent opportunities here in Australia meant his love of the game was at a low ebb.

So he decided to pack his bags and head overseas with his then girlfriend Brooke to see the world and only take a passing interest in what was happening in rugby for a while.

Let the body heal and wash off the fatigue of an aspiring professional rugby players.

So they travelled through Canada and before too long Metcher was told about a new league starting in the United States, Major League Rugby.

Metcher fired off an email and before too long he was in serious discussions about joining the league with the Seattle Seawolves and being a bit of a pioneer.

“When I left Melbourne at the end of 2017 rugby was the last thing on my mind,” Metcher said this week.

“I was nursing a shoulder reconstruction and really just wanted to get away and have a bit of a holiday.

“But the way things have turned out this whole journey has helped me to fall back in love with rugby again.

“I was in Canada and the MLR (the national club competition in the United States) was just getting  underway so I just fired off a few emails and before long we were in Seattle.”

Throw forward to earlier this year and Metcher is three years into a five-year deal at the Seattle Seawolves that has seen him grab back-to-back MLR titles.

“We were four rounds into the competition when Covid-19 hit the United States and initially things were shut down for 30 days,” Metcher added.

“But it soon became apparent that things weren’t good – one of the first major outbreaks was in a nursing home in Seattle – and the whole season was eventually cancelled and within 10 days we were on our way back to Australia while the borders were still open.

“The MLR has come on tremendously over the past couple of seasons, the standard is good and its attracting guys like the ‘Beast’ Tendai Mtawarira (Washington DC), Ma’a Nonu (San Diego) and Mathieu Bastareaud (New York).”

Metcher and now wife Brooke quarantined at his parents home near Tamworth and soon Rebels coach Todd Louden was on the line with a proposition.

Come back to the club where it all started and help a bunch of kids and no names press the reset button and leave the place in a good place after 2020.

“Right off the bat Todd said that the place was in transition and that he wanted to strip back a few things and get some solid footy values front of mind,” Metcher said.

“That appealed to me because after all that’s what rugby is all about. Coming together no matter what the differences and making great memories.

“When I first walked through the door at the start of our Covid-19 pre-season I reckon I would have recognised four maybe five faces. There’s a lot of colts coming through and there is some good energy.

“He’s (Louden) been all about fitness, having good attitudes and when the time comes for footy being in the right mindset.”

So far so good after Souths disposed of the highly fancied Eastwood in the First Round of the Shute Shield last weekend.

“We just wanted to send out a message to the competition that it is going to be a tough afternoon when you come to Forshaw,” he said.

“But we’ve just got to keeping things ticking over.

“It’s been a real grounding experience for me working with guys who are working five days a week and getting in four training sessions a week.”

Metcher played in the Rebels two grand final appearances (2012 v Sydney Uni where they lost 15-14 and 2014 where they lost to Eastwood 33-13) and is hoping to be around at that time of the year in the candy stripes.

The only complication may well be the birth of Tim and Brooke’s first child on October 25 – six days before the premiership decider.

IMAGE: JESSICA READING / READING MEDIA