Hughes Giving 'em Kurri In France

Newcastle Herald

Thursday August 17, 2006

BEN QUINN

WHEN that familiar, mischievous voice chuckled down the telephone line from another hemisphere, I could not help but marvel at the strength of the ties that bind in footy.

Though Mark Hughes is a veritable world away in the land of foie gras, rampant dog faeces, escargot and rude waiters, his thoughts invariably return to great crusades with the Newcastle Knights in those quiet moments when the homesickness kicks up a stink.

Indeed, the 29-year-old Kurri Kurri patriot was scanning his beloved club's website over breakfast with wife Kiralee and two-year-old son Zac when League 2006 caught up with him late our time on Tuesday night.

"I see Joey's causing a bit of a stir over there," Hughes observed from his temporary digs in Canet-en-Roussillon, a picturesque beachside town in the south of France.

"I'm a bit surprised, to be honest. It's not like Joey to be making front- and back-page news.

"Technology's a wonderful thing. I watch Fox Sports, scan the Net and am constantly keeping up to date with things on the Knights website.

"Matt Gidley rang this morning when I was at training. I'd take a punt he was ringing to give me the inside story. He'll be over this way soon [playing for St Helens]. Lining up against him will be something different, for sure. It'll be good to rough him up a bit."

Playing mostly in the centres, Hughes has scored eight tries from 20 matches in a solid debut season for French fledglings Les Catalans Dragons in the English Super League.

Under the tutelage of coach Mick Potter and general svengali David Waite, Les Catalans have done well to register seven wins while developing combinations and blooding several players straight out of the local amateur leagues.

"There's a great mix of blokes. We've got six Australians, two New Zealanders and 15 or so French players," said Hughes, a veteran of 161 first-grade games with the Knights.

"You'd know blokes like Ruddsy [former Knight Sean Rudder], Chris Beattie from Cronulla, Ian Hindmarsh from Canberra, Stacey Jones and Justin Murphy from the Warriors, John Wilson from the Tigers and Alex Chan from Melbourne.

"We all live together in villas in the same street, which has made it easier for the women and kids to adjust.

"The French blokes have done pretty well across the board. All of them came from playing local league to full-time professionalism, which is a massive step up.

"One of the standout Frenchies is Jamel Fakir, a very strong second-rower who has a bit to learn but shows great potential."

The Dragons are last in the 12-team competition on 14 points, one win behind Wakefield and Wigan, but are exempt from relegation until 2008.

They face runaway leaders St Helens, second-placed Hull FC, fellow battlers Huddersfield and third-placed Leeds to finish their debut season.

"We've had a mixed year with a couple of really good wins but some really bad losses," Hughes said. "We haven't been able to beat any of the teams in the top three or four."

The Dragons have signed Clint Greenshields, Adam Mogg and Jason Croker as they look towards an improved showing in 2007.

"No one likes losing, but I've really enjoyed being part of building this club from the ground up," Hughes said. "I've only missed two games with a hamstring, so the body's holding up well, touch wood."

The Super League standard has impressed Hughes, even though it is "probably a touch behind" the NRL in terms of consistency.

"St Helens, who we've got this weekend, are clearly the best team. Players like Sean Long, Keiron Cunningham and Paul Sculthorpe would do well in Australia," he said.

"The big prop, [Stuart] Fielden, goes good. He switched from Bradford to Wigan mid-season. A fair bit of that goes on with players and coaches, which is pretty strange.

"If you lose a few the Pommy press can be pretty merciless, especially on the established clubs."

Hughes will return home briefly in November to catch up with loved ones and perform best-man duties at the wedding of Danny Buderus, who will also be attended by brother Brock and some anonymous dude named Andrew Johns.

"If the sun is shining and the birds are singing, I dare say there'll be a few beers," he said. "I can't wait to get home . . . and I'll try not to get Joey too fired up."

"I'm a bit surprised, to be honest. It's not like Joey to be making front- and back-page news." MARK HUGHES

© 2006 Newcastle Herald

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