KIERSTEN DUKE: Why I have learned to love Sydney Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. When you Google his name under “also searched for” is “Jared Waerea-Hargreaves grub”.

As a one-eyed South’s supporter this made me chuckle a little. But, love him or hate him, one thing we can agree on is he’s bloody entertaining.

On Sunday the entertainer put on an Oscar-winning performance as he bulldozed his way out of the Allianz sheds to play his 307th game. Huge.

“I would’ve been happy with just one,”’ JWH said a recent interview.

“Do you realise we were meant to be celebrating game 330-odd because you’ve basically been suspended for a whole season?” Cooper Cronk responded

I was shocked that he’d managed to keep it down to just the one season.

For years I’ve always thought of the Roosters prop as one of the games dirtiest players. That high tackle on Liam Knight in 2019 which left the Rabbitoh’s player covered in blood will forever make me wince.

In 2014 JWH copped his sixth suspension in four years, at the beginning of this season he missed out the Las Vegas opener due to his on-field behaviour, and to stay on theme, of course he was sent to the sin bin in his most-capped game on Sunday.

Just 20 minutes into the first half against the Dragons, JWH came out of the line to collect Max Feagai a little too high and we saw that shiny gold No.8 wander back to the sheds.

I don’t condone dangerous play, I think the longevity of our players health is paramount, but I’ve got to admit this one did make me chuckle. Only JWH would end up in the sin bin in his milestone game. You can’t knock the guy’s consistency. That’s what makes him so well loved among Roosters fans.

His constant fight to make the opposition fear him. Week in ,week out (when he’s not suspended), this man plays hard and sets the standard for the rest of the team. I imagine running out alongside someone with the presence of JWH would make you feel 10-foot taller.

The influence that would have on you as a younger player at the club would be tremendous. It would squeeze out every ounce of talent and fight you had in your body and you’d leave it all out there. That’s an incredibly powerful thing.

I think what’s surprised me the most throughout reading and listening to his interviews over the last week is how warm and calm he seems to be outside of game day. It seems like he switches into a completely different person. Sometimes you look at a big scary footy player and you think “how does this lunatic go home and slot into a family life?” You can’t imagine him returning home to help put the kids to bed or do the dishes. But to this terrifying prop’s credit, he truly seems to be able to make that switch.

In multiple interviews it was mentioned that JWH was a gentle giant away from the field

He has this incredible ability to morph on game day from fluffy bunny to a bloody Were-Rabbit (this thing gave me nightmares as a kid).

Just the other day I was talking with my physio and we got on to the subject of Waerea-Hargreaves playing 15 seasons for the Roosters. Not only did he give credit to the mental and physical toughness to play as a forwards pack leader for such a long period of time but he mentioned, completely unprompted, that among all the rugby stars he’s ever treated JWH stuck out to him as one of the most polite, down to earth and kindest.

From rugby greats to those working behind the scenes, it seems anyone who has the pleasure of interacting with this legendary Rooster walks away singing his praises.

It looks like this one-eyed Souths supporter has changed her opinion on one of rugby league’s “dirtiest players”.