Noosa NRL star hits third strike

Jake Friend in action for the Pirates in 2007.

Cade Mooney

One of the keen football judges at the Noosa Pirates who saw a young kid by the name of Jake Friend break into senior rugby league at the age of 17 thought he was going to go all the way in the game.

No less than the next Cameron Smith, a smart-thinking tough hooker who has won premierships for the Melbourne Storm and captained Australia.

“Obviously Jake was contracted to the (Sydney) Roosters then and when he played for us he was something special, he was that good,” said Peter McGregor, who is one of the Pirates committee mainstays.

“I really saw him in a Queensland perspective as the replacement for Cam Smith.”

The grim reality for one of Noosa’s most talented NRL exports is that he has given himself three strikes and is now is out of his Roosters three-year $500,000 contract. That is after being caught drink-driving with a blood alcohol of .162 in March this year and having to face a court in January on a charge of allegedly punching a woman.

His latest indiscretion was to go out on a boozy night and fall asleep in a cab. When the cab driver could not get his fare money, he drove the 19-year-old to a police station where he allegedly swore at police.

McGregor, a local policeman and former Noosa councillor, believes Friend is a good kid who has been too easily led astray by the big city lifestyle, the big bucks and a few “mates” who do not have his best interest at heart.

“He comes from a really good family. They are wonderful people who have really strong values,” McGregor said.

“But he obviously has a problem with alcohol.”

McGregor is hopeful that a serious young talent will not be lost to the game.

He read recently that Friend was on the wagon and that while he was home in Noosa drank only water at a mate’s 21st.

McGregor hopes for the sake of Jake Friend and his family as well as Queensland’s future Origin prospects that he will get another chance.

“I know the Roosters went to a lot of trouble to keep him, but in the end it’s really up to Jake,” McGregor said.

“If he can really keep his nose clean for 12 months and deal with his drinking problem, then I really do think the Roosters would take him back.”

And while Jake Friend is looking to make a dollar off the field with a regular job, Peter McGregor said the door was always open for him to keep his skills level up by playing with the Pirates.