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Staniforth poised to fire against state of origin
Phil Wilkins | April 11, 2008
He was waved off into the sunset by a NSW Rugby Union infatuated with rugby league wingers in 2004 and proved them wrong by being selected for his second World Cup last year. Now Scott Staniforth is set to haunt the Waratahs again on Saturday night.
One of the smartest moves Staniforth ever made as a kid from the wheat and sheep property of Baaloo Park near West Wyalong was to lace on rugby boots in his first year at All Saints' College in Bathurst.
Times are not so much tough on the land these days - they're brutal. Drought often makes life intolerable, and with the price of superphosphate fertiliser soaring in recent times from $400 to $1100 per tonne and fuel costs spiralling, even a good harvest makes a year's return negligible.
Staniforth broke into the NSW team in 1997 and by 2004 had made 61 Super rugby appearances for the Waratahs. But then he saw the state administration roll out barrels of gold bullion for Mat Rogers, Lote Tuqiri and Wendell Sailor.
That made four wingers in the Waratahs team, and Staniforth saw the writing on the wall. He was granted an early release and signed a contract with London Irish - now coached successfully by former Wallabies halfback Brian Smith - and thrived in his new environment.
He was named club player of the year and was included in Sky Channel's "Dream Team" assembled from the 12 English premiership clubs.
But wife Emma was pregnant with their third child, and Staniforth knew home was where his heart lay. If he could not make West Wyalong his home, he determined to return, if possible, via the new franchise being formed in Perth.
Staniforth made it - just. He was coach John Mitchell's last selection for the Western Force. He was the Force's outstanding player in their inaugural season in 2006, playing not as a bustling winger but essentially as a try-scoring inside-centre.
Many things have changed for Staniforth since he returned from England. Now 30, he signed a new three-year contract with the Force last year, indicating the franchise has more foresight than some closer to home - as NSW-born George Smith and Chris Latham among others can attest. He now has 12 Test caps and has become one of those indispensable players essential to any club's development.
The Force are running fifth in the Super 14, level on 23 points with the Chiefs. The Waratahs are a point behind on 22 points, but with a game in hand.
"The game is of vital importance to us," Staniforth said. "I didn't think I'd ever be playing against the Waratahs, and now I'm playing them for the third time.
"We love it here in Perth. It was a great move coming back from England and joining the Force, football-wise and for family reasons."
Parents Peter and Dinah will be keeping the home fires burning at West Wyalong, but Scott will have his own family fan club on Saturday - Emma and the kids, brother Nigel, who is in the Force's Academy, and sister Katie, who is the Force's membership officer.
They are from the bush, but life's not so tough for the trio these days. The three siblings all live within close range of each other at beachside Cottesloe.
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...420585981.html
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