Kirk shows enterprise

THERE were times last year when young Warrior Aidan Kirk wondered if he'd ever fulfil his dream of playing first-grade footy.

He'd been lured from Australia to the club with the promise of NRL glory but instead found himself on the physio table or, when fit, plying his trade for the Auckland Lions now called the Auckland Vulcans.

It wasn't exactly what he'd envisaged when he signed his name on the dotted line. But, then again, taking what seemed like an age to recover from off-season knee surgery wasn't something he'd planned either.

"All last year I was trying to get over my knee injury and there were times where I thought I was never going to get better," says Kirk, who injured his knee in the 2006 premier league grand final.

"Ask anyone who's had a knee reconstruction and they'll tell you how hard it can be.

"I didn't get a shot at first-grade last year, which was mainly due to my knee.

"You get past it though."

While there's no shortage of Aussies at the club, Kirk admits living away from friends and family in 2007 made life tough.

"It was a huge move for me to come to this club," he says.

"I moved out of home when I was 17 so I didn't have any issues living away from home.

"But in saying that, living away from friends and family was a huge deal.

"It was a massive challenge for me."

Although at one stage his career looked destined to languish in the reserve grades, 2008 arrived and with it brought the promise of a shot at the big time.

Roll the clock forward to mid-July and with nine appearances in the top-flight under his belt, Kirk is fast becoming anything but a fringe footy player.

"The back half of the year has been really good. I'm absolutely loving being out on the field," says Kirk.

"It certainly took me a while to adjust to playing in the NRL. I knew it was going to be faster but it wasn't until maybe three or four games into my first-grade career that I began to adapt."

Kirk believes he has what it takes to foot it as a regular NRL footballer and the club appears to agree.

A month ago his contract was extended to the end of 2009 with an option for 2010 and despite being a centre by choice, he's quite happy to play on the wing.

"I've really enjoyed playing on the wing for the Warriors this year," he says.

"It's been my first real test there I've never played there before.

"You don't do as much work but when you do, you are really under pressure to do it well.

"I'd prefer to play in the centres but I am going to have to work my way into that position. Starting out on the wing is good enough for me right now."

Since making his debut against the Storm in round one, Kirk has proved he has the ability to rub shoulders with the best in the business.

But he says the question now is whether he can develop the mental toughness needed to succeed as a professional footballer.

"It can be intimidating when you first start out in the NRL," Kirk says.

"I guess that's the mental battle that you have to try to beat. The mental side of footy at this level plays a huge role.

"I'd say 80 percent of being a successful footballer in the NRL comes down to how well you handle the mental side of the sport.

"The 25 guys in any squad know how to play the game, it's just a question of whether they can deal with the mind stuff."

- © Fairfax NZ News