He was placed on report 4 occasions in a single sport final 12 months, however Thomas Flegler is reaping the rewards of a calmer method to footy, with the Dolphins-bound front-rower set to make his Kangaroos debut towards New Zealand on Saturday evening.
Flegler’s aggressive method to the sport used to get him in lots of hassle, with the 24-year-old that includes prominently in match assessment fees throughout his first few seasons with the Broncos.
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That included being positioned on report 4 occasions towards the Warriors in his first sport of the 2022 season, having missed the beginning of the marketing campaign because of suspension.
But a chat with Broncos coach Kevin Walters helped him see the sunshine, with Flegler firming down the aggression and as an alternative letting his footy do the speaking that led to a State of Origin recall.
Flegler additionally performed a key position in Brisbane’s run to the grand ultimate, with the massive man scoring a strive towards Penrith within the decider in what was his final sport for the membership.
“This year Kevvie always said to me ‘you need to be a blue head, not a red head’, so I had to be a lot calmer,” he stated, additionally paying tribute to Broncos forwards Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan for elevating his sport.
“I’ve almost played 100 games now and it took me a fair few seasons to mature as a front-rower in the game, but I’m not as aggressive anymore.
“I spent more time on the field this year, which is good, and I need to continue doing that.
“I’ve matured a lot, and playing alongside Patty and Payne has helped me massively. They’re the lock and front-rower of the year, so I take a lot from their game.”
Flegler hasn’t relied on meditation or any respiratory workouts to calm himself down, with the prop ahead extra anxious about not letting his teammates down with mind explosions.
“On the field you find yourself in those situations, so you just have to take a step back, take a breath and think about what’s right and not so much what you want to do but what’s right for the team,” he stated.
“It’s no good for the team if you’re on the sideline.
“It takes you a few games to realise that, and all the good props in the game, that’s when their maturity kicks in once they hit a certain age. I feel like I’m heading in that direction.”
The outcomes have been there for everybody to see, with Flegler having his most constant NRL season and rewarded with a spot within the Kangaroos facet for this weekend’s sport in Melbourne.
Flegler is available in for Haas, with the great mates set to develop into foes subsequent season when the Kangaroos rookie joins the Dolphins on a four-year deal.
“It was a hard decision,” Flegler stated.
“There’s a core group of boys there and we’ve been there since under-20s and we’re all very good mates.
“To leave (Brisbane) was hard in that aspect, but at the end of the day we’ve got to grow up and make decisions that sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone to do.
“I’ve made that decision and hopefully it can go well for me.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
