Bronco Aims To Take Manly In His Stride

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday September 4, 1990

IAN ARNOLD

BRISBANE: It's a giant step from the quiet backwater of Nambour Showground to the bubbling cauldron of Sydney Football Stadium at finals' time.

But that's the difference a year will make for lanky Broncos fullback Paul Hauff, 20, when he trots out there in his seven-league boots on Saturday.

Twelve months ago, he and Willy Carne were just a couple of unknown faces in the Broncos' Colts team which won the Sunshine Coast competition.

Both have fast-tracked it up the league ladder since then-Carne to State of Origin status and Hauff to cult status for his distinctive size and style of play.

Giant steps are second nature when you wear size 13 boots and stand 197cm tall. But two other steps this season have been seared into the Hauff psyche.

They were the ones Brad Fittler produced to leave him stranded twice in the middle of the Penrith Park desert a month ago.

The fact that Fittler's sidestep drew instant comparison with the one Graeme Langlands used to make fools of the game's best for a decade was no consolation.

What it did do was spur Hauff to train longer and harder, concentrating on defensive drills and how to position himself better.

The pay-off came in Brisbane's next game against Newcastle- three try-saving tackles.

In the first, Hauff gave five-eighth Michael Hagan five metres start and ran him down in 10 giant strides just short of the Broncos' line.

In the second, Newcastle flyer Ashley Gordon was put into the clear on halfway after referee Bill Harrigan failed to hear the half-time hooter. Gordon, rated among league's fastest five, raced for the corner, but made just 35 metres before Hauff caught up and carted him into touch.

They covered the same distance, but with three important differences-Gordon got the ball on the fly while Hauff had to half-turn before putting the foot down. And his giraffe-like legs then devoured the ground in 16 strides to Gordon's 22.

In the third save, Hauff again caught Hagan easily after he raced on to a mid-field intercept and for all of 1 1/2 seconds looked a certainty to score.

Hauff disclaims any special athletic ability, but years of competing for his Gold Coast college in the triple and broad jumps undoubtedly helped to stretch that stride to about 2 1/4 metres in top gear.

Against Manly a few weeks ago in a Brookvale Oval bog, he barely got out of first gear, but the firmer going at the SFS will be more to his liking on Saturday. After being sidelined with a shoulder injury and missing the preliminary semi against Penrith last week, he's looking forward to the sudden-death match with Manly.

His goal at the start of the season was simply to play well enough in reserve grade not to be sent back to play in the local competition. Now, after 15 first-grade games, he and Carne have emerged as two of the code's most exciting young prospects.

© 1990 Sydney Morning Herald

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