Tales from the Members' Bar

No.19 Stephen Myler (Part II)

I thought it a bold grab when I asked Stephen how come he had been put up for two press days and his house-mates had been noticeable by their absence that he should answer, "Intellect." Then I thought, perhaps he does not think that I am a match for a Cambridge graduate.

The first item on our agenda was rushed to the top when I arrived at Franklins Gardens to find Neil Starling, trousers round his ankles, sat stranded somewhere along the centre of the southern 22-metre line. Apparently he was tied up, too. He had come off second best to Dave Ward in a team-room game that involves something known as the Venus Fly Trap. I decided that I did not need to know the rules as I was never likely to be invited to play. A first hand view of the loser's forfeit and I had made up my mind to decline should I ever receive such an offer.

With the next four games deciding the whole season as far as Saints are concerned, Stephen is as keen as the hottest mustard to play as big a part as he can in these defining games. He may have grown up dreaming of 40,000 Lancastrians and 40,000 Yorkshiremen at Wembley for the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final but to know that Saints are 80 minutes away from the National Trophy Final at a packed Twickenham focuses the mind somewhat. He has been to Twickenham as a spectator when the other Saints played the Bulls while Wembley was being redeveloped. Like any young man with ambition, he wants to be out there on 12^th April.

We settled in to talking about the differences between the two codes as far as fly-half is concerned. It seems that the modern way in rugby league is to have two half-backs working right and left off the dummy half. With kicking virtually eliminated as an option early in the tackle count, the range of options a half-back has are straightforward. Certainly when compared with rugby union.

A fly-half wearing ‘Ten' is involved in so much play that his ability to make the decision and execute the play is called upon time after time. He is rarely out of the game and is the lynch-pin on which the whole pattern of a team's play relies. It is a big job and one that Stephen relishes. He recognises that he is still learning and is seen as a bit orthodox compared with the box of tricks that Carlos Spencer has at his disposal but he is an assured young man. While he might be seen as ‘Son of Grays' at the moment, he is constantly adding to his style of play. Watch this space!

Last time we met, I discovered that Stephen's house-mates were a source of much amusement so I asked, "Who does the cooking?" It is not that there is a total lack of cohesion in the kitchen but Stephen and Joe like different things. Stephen's cooking is plain and simple and it suits him. Joe has a more cosmopolitan palate and he cooks for his taste. The third member has cooked twice in his whole Northampton career. The first time a can of ravioli made its way safely on to the top of a piece of toast. Result! However, Ash's attempt at an omelette was pulled up short - somewhere around the scrambled eggs stage. Oh well.

Being a resourceful young man he has solved the problem in a manner handed down through generations of culinarily challenged men - he gets his girlfriend to cook for him. Watch that waist-line, Chris.

I was obviously feeling soft at the beginning of December. I allowed Stephen to wriggle out of the biscuit question when he volunteered Cadbury's Dairy Milk as his sweet snack of choice. This time I was harder. Rules are rules and biscuits are biscuits. I even refused to allow Kit Kat on the grounds that I did not believe that he dunked them in his cuppa.

In that case, it has to be Rich Tea.

arw

12.03.2008

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