Melia has a butcher's at Craigie
Sun Herald
Sunday February 13, 2011
CENTRAL Newcastle co-coach Craig Melia believes only time will tell if former NRL star Owen Craigie is a successful addition to his side but says the early signs are good.Craigie, 32, has signed with the Butcher Boys for the coming Newcastle league season after training with the club - he had turned up out of the blue to a Central gym session "looking for a game" just before Christmas.The former prodigy, still the only player to represent Australian Schoolboys for three years, has not played at the top level since 2005, when he split with English Super League club Widnes.As with his stints with the Knights, South Sydney and Wests Tigers, form and weight problems led to his exit. Since then the 1997 Knights premiership player, who made his NRL debut with Newcastle at 16, has had short and unsuccessful comebacks at Raymond Terrace (2006) and Inverell (2010).Given Craigie's history, Melia is cautiously optimistic of the man described by Andrew Johns as "the best naturally talented player I played with" giving his side an edge this year."When I saw Owie a couple of years ago he was about 130 kilos, I reckon," Melia said yesterday."When he turned up at training he was about 120 and he's lost about 10 since he's been there, so he's working. Whether or not he turns out to be a good signing, we'll have to wait and see, but he's keen at training and gets there when he can. He often works nights in his job working with young Aboriginal kids, so he can't always make it."But he's an experienced player and that will be very valuable for the younger players regardless."Former Newcastle and NSW Country prop Melia, who with Dave Van Buuren has replaced Dean Bosnich as coach, believes Craigie is on track to be his starting five-eighth."He's still a big boy, but we put him through the agility tests at training, and he brained it," he said. "He'll be our five-eighth as long as he stays keen and we keep him interested, but it's all going well at the moment."Melia hopes Craigie will strike up a combination with import Jonathan Schofield, the son of English great Garry Schofield, in the halves.Central have also gained former Kurri and Country prop Marty Oborn and hope to have forward Joel Barton on board when he is released from jail next month.Those gains come after the loss of Byron Warren and Courtney Rolff to South Newcastle, and Hayden Jeans and Callan Richardson, who are both overseas.Melia, meanwhile, was unsure of the source of speculation linking disillusioned dual international Timana Tahu to the club. The future of the Parramatta-contracted player, who is living in Cardiff, is uncertain.Melia said no official at the club had been in contact with the Central junior, but added that Tahu is good friends with Craigie and club captain Mick Young."He'd be nothing under the points system because he's a Central junior, so if you hear anything, tell him to give us a call," Melia said.
© 2011 Sun Herald
