“Is he telling you how he’s the new fan favourite?”
That was the query posed by Sharks legend Paul Gallen as Fox League sat down with rising star Tom Hazelton.
“What’s the word… he’s the new cult hero, 100 per cent,” Gallen stated with an arm across the younger prop.
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Hazelton shrugged off the praise, however a vouch from one in all rugby league’s best ever entrance rowers is nothing to disregard for a participant solely 19 video games into his NRL profession.
The 25-year-old performed 18 of these in 2023, cementing a spot on the bench below Craig Fitzgibbon after seizing his alternative with each fingers.
Hazelton labored his means by way of the membership’s Jersey Flegg group, finally incomes a practice and trial deal and an NRL debut in 2022 after transferring to the Shire from Goulburn.
Sitting down with foxsports.com.au, Hazelton was stunned by what he’d achieved in 2023 however is anticipating more durable competitors for spots forward of the membership’s 2024 marketing campaign.
Toby Rudolf, Braden Hamlin-Uele and Dale Finucane all spent totally different durations sidelined and suspended final season, however are anticipated to be match and firing come Round 1.
“It was just nice to string a few games together, obviously you don’t want your mates, you know your best mates in your position, you don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Hazelton stated.
“But that’s where my opportunity came from and then every week wanting to do my best for the team. (I wanted to make) sure everyone in these walls trusts me to do a job for the team.
“Obviously we were missing some big names at points last year like Braden (Hamlin-Uele), Dale (Finucane) and Toby (Rudolf) for a stint there.
“So I just wanted to make sure that I can be relied on by the staff and players to do the job every week.”
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Shark Park is a frightening place for rival golf equipment to go and the power is all the time excessive, however when Hazelton rises from the bench the excitement rises to a complete new degree.
That’s what the hulking prop loves most about his ‘cult hero’ standing — having the ability to carry his group merely by taking the sphere together with his immediately recogniseable look.
“The thing I like the most about it is it just gives a bit of energy to the place and the team,” Hazelton stated.
“If I get to come on and give the crowd and the boys a bit of a lift, I’m all for it.
“I think it’s the bald head and the head tape is a bit of a staple so it’s nice to be able to bring a bit of a spark every time I come on and I love playing here.
“It’s my favourite ground to play at so every time I get to play here it’s a privilege.”
Hazelton’s journey to first grade got here with one other legend of the sport backing his capability in Gavin Miller, who reached out to the prop’s Dad to get him to Cronulla for a trial.
Hazelton’s expertise was clear while taking part in for Goulburn below 18s within the Group 8 Canberra competitors and after his trial he by no means seemed again.
“I was just playing first grade back home in the Canberra comp, group eight, and I was playing 18s and back up and play first grade,” Hazelton stated.
“It came to the back-end of the year and Grant Jones I think it was called me Dad and said that Gavin (Miller) had spoke to him.
“They got me up for a trial at Belmore against the Bulldogs and I got sort of a train and trial deal with Flegg and that was at the start of 2018.
“I’ve just sort of been here ever since, poking along. Did my two years in 20s and then had the Covid years and didn’t do anything for a bit.
“Got the opportunity to come back when Fitzy first got to the club and I’ve been here since.”
Alongside Miller and Gallen, Hazelton has had the pleasure of being mentored by among the sport’s present and former finest center forwards.
Whilst coming by way of the Sharks ranks Andrew Fifita and Aaron Woods had been the gamers he idolised and now he appears to 2 teammates for recommendation about easy methods to develop his sport.
“When I first came into the NRL squad and had guys who had done everything in the game like Andrew Fifita and Aaron Woods,” Hazelton stated.
“I watched those guys playing in Origin, Test matches and World Cups.
“The further I’ve got on with Dale and Cameron McInnes coming in, another one was Aiden Tolman, just getting bits and pieces off everyone about how they go about their week and prepare.
“Even now we have a good group here with guys who are coming into the peak of their careers. It’s been good to be able to be in a group with so many high level forwards and just be a sponge.”
Hazelton admitted that his first six weeks away from residence had been “challenging when you’re building friend groups” however he’s clearly made a giant impression.
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Nicho Hynes stated that the steely ahead is somebody he feels “safe” taking the sphere with however the former Dally M winner does anticipate rivals to begin focusing on him after a breakout 12 months.
Hynes himself emerged as a fan favorite in his first Sharks season in 2022, however he’s completely satisfied to move the baton onto Hazelton who’s “become a real icon” in Cronulla.
“He’s a really good guy, a nice genuine person that everyone loves having around and he cares, about his performances and he cares about his teammates,” Hynes stated.
“He’s someone you feel safe having in your team, he’ll turn up, his defensive movements are great, he will have a tough run and it’s just about building now for him.
“People might start coming for him because he’s had a whole year in NRL now but it’s now about evolving.
“But people love him, he’s a tall, bald dude who scores some tries as a front rower, he’s a cult figure for this club and hopefully he can keep on building on that and it’s great for him.
“It’s brought him out of his shell and he’s become a real icon for the club and our team, hopefully he can continue to do that.”
Fellow entrance rower Braden Hamlin-Uele additionally defined how impressed he’s been with Hazelton since his arrival, claiming he might push for a beginning spot.
“He’s walked off a couple of times and the crowd just goes nuts for him, he’s played a handful of games and to have that, it must be so good for him,” Hamlin-Uele stated.
“I’m so proud of him. I’ve known him for a few years now and to see his progression, it’s been pretty fast but really amazing.
“He’s come in and he hasn’t put a foot wrong and he’s gone and shown what he can do… he has all the tools to start.
“That’s the beauty of our forward pack really, anyone can start where they are needed and big Hazo has another big year ahead of him, he’s gone up another level with his training.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
