It was a cold Saturday winters night, and my Bulldogs were due to play the Penrith Panthers. With the whole day at my command, I arrived early to catch some of the juniors in the Under-20's competition. I took along a bunch of party-hats which were distributed among the Bulldogs Army. Throughout the night I was roundly shouted beers, I shook many hands and was given plenty of best wishes.
If you know the footy "me" ... you'll know that I don't necessarily require a win on the scoreboard to have a good time - Needless to say, being the birthday and all, it was a good night all round :) ...
What sticks out most for me wasn't the end result of the game I went to see (I honestly do not recall at this minute if we won or lost) ... it was my first encounter (of sorts) with Joel Romelo.
You see, while shaking hands with Army friends and enjoying some pale ale, my trance was broken by the sound of flesh hitting flesh and a loud "WAAAAHOOOOO !" immediately after it. I turned to see many Panthers players back-slapping and high-5-ing. "Listen to these hot shots", I casually retorted. "It was the number twelve !" remarked one of the other observers.
Seconds later one of the Bulldogs players hit one of the Panthers resulting in a dropped ball, and me being the antagonistic opposition fan I am, I immediately screamed out "WOOOOO !!!" right back at the players .... which echoed resoundingly around the almost empty stadium much, much louder than I thought.
With the ball back in our possession, I turned my attention back to the chat between mates. Next thing I knew ... I heard it again "WAAAAHOOOOOO" !!! - I turned to see one of our players on his back, writhing in pain, clutching at ribs, and the same "#12" being congratulated. The thought occured to me "I wonder if that yahoo for me ?"
It was hard to make him out, but from my vantage point of the sideline this "#12" couldn't have stood more than 5'8". He consequently ran in three tries that day and lead his Under-20's team to a 20 point victory over my Bulldogs juniors team. It took a little while but I tracked his name down ... Joel Romelo - I marked him down as one to watch !!!
Allow me to sidetrack for a moment : You have to understand that Bulldogs fans love their cult heros - Willie Mason, Mark O'Meley, Sonny Bill Williams, Tony Grimaldi, Brad Morrin, Robert Relf, Jason Hetherington, Matt Utai, Hazem El Masri, David Gillespie, Dean Pay, Jim Dymock, to name a few. We could go back thirty years to Geoff Robinson if you like. It's not unusual for a player to elevate themselves above the average through on field endeavors, just by wearing the Bulldogs jumper. Otherwise unheralded no-names tend to attract a certain 'following'.
With this in mind ... it wasn't long after watching Joel debut in first grade I started making outlandish claims that we should "poach him" from the Panthers. I was laughed down (and rightly so, I mean who the hell is Joel Romelo anyway, and what the hell is CK rambling on about now ?), and it made for good forum banter for quite a while.
After further research online, I discovered Joel was born in Darwin to Aboriginal/Italian parents and was an Australian Schoolboys rep alongside the likes of Mitchell Pearce and Israel Folau. In 2009, he made the Toyota Cup Team of the Year. It wasn't like my claims were totally unfounded. But at the time, if you could draw a list of players you 'would' choose first, Joel may not have registered in the first 100 of anyone you ask.
Fast forward 9 months later ... one fateful day in the early stages of the 2010 season, BIG NEWS arrived - Call it luck, timing , circumstance, act-of-God or planets aligning ... my ridiculous 1000/1 punt had come off !!! That little bloke with the big hits from the Panthers Under-20's team was OURS !!! The Bulldogs had indeed signed Joel Romelo !!! - It was like Xmas and Easter at once !
Users on the forum The Kennel ran to check on my health "Is CK alright ??? I haven't heard from him all day ... I think he might have passed out in shock !", while others eagerly awaited my Hallelujah chanting.
And so began the first bandwagon I've not just hitched onto, but DRIVEN !
I'd decided Joel Romelo wasn't just any bandwagon ... it was MY bandwagon, and I would the next decade reporting his every move. I nicknamed him "The Pain Train" and announced to all and sundry ".... the pain train's comin' WOO WOOOOO !!!" - I even started a Fan Club on Facebook for some laughs, and attracted the attention of some of his mates from Redcliffe who were quick to claim him as their own ! ...... (G'day Reddy Boyz .... Ohhhhh SSShhhhiiittttttt ! :p)
With the absence of regular first grade stars, Joel played three first grade games for the Bulldogs in 2010. But it took until last weekend for him to emerge again from the NSW Cup wilderness, with his first appearance for 2011 in Round 20 against Parramatta. - However, it only took him 8 minutes to make his impact known !
See it for yourself here -> Joel smashes Fui Fui Moi Moi.
I'm pleased to report this trend continued into Joel's most recent game against the Roosters, where he belted NSW fullback Anthony Minichello for good measure not once, but twice.
While he'll probably now be known as the little guy who smashes bigger guys, it kind of detracts from the fact he actually has footballing skills across the park. He can kick, pass, run from dummy half. I've seen him score from a chip'n'chase in NSW cup, and he has the ability to back up in support like the better ball-players do. Remember I told you he scored a hat-trick when I first saw him at junior level ?
He's competetive, tenacious and all the things you love in a footballer. The angry ant. The tough cookie. All packaged into 170cms and about 88kg.
I'm not alone in my fandom either. The lads over at This Week In League have been singing Joel's praises for just as long as I have, and affectionately refer to him as "The Ottoman" in their weekly blogs (because he has the same approximate dimensions), and together we share an mutual appreciation for all things Joel.
I haven't had the pleasure of meeting the man in the flesh yet ... I've spoken to others who have, and they say he's congenial and unassuming. He's aware of his internet fanbase and largely finds it something to giggle at.
As I type, I understand the Bulldogs are in the process of extending his contract (for the 2nd time). He scored his first NRL try last week and is 8 games into what I and countless others hope will be a long run of appearances.
So get on board ... there's plenty of room on this bandwagon.
The instructions couldn't be more simple ....
1. Find the little bloke in the Blue'n'White.
2. Sit back and wait for him to smash the big one in the other colours !
3. Enjoy with friends.
It's only a matter of time before the highlight reels get fuller and the game-day banners start ... there's chat among the Fanclub that "Joel's Shoulder : The Wrecking Boulder !" is a strong contender.