On any given weekend during the rugby league season there's no place Tom Warner would rather be than out on the field representing his beloved Stingrays of Shellharbour.
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Though the Stingrays player/coach wasn't too disappointed this weekend's round of Group Seven rugby league games were washed out.
Warner was particularly glad to have Sunday off, as he could spoil his partner and celebrate her first Mother's Day.
Three months ago Warner and his partner Tennille Stephens had their first child, a daughter they named Elle Catherine Warner.
"It's perfect, things are going along really nicely. We're blessed to have a beautiful healthy baby girl," Warner told the Mercury.
"With no footy this weekend I'm looking forward to Mother's Day now and celebrating it with my partner.
"I'm pretty lucky I've got a great partner. Obviously I'm still coaching and playing so I've got to sacrifice a lot of time for my team. My partner understands this and is a great help, which I can't explain how much I appreciate.
"I also love being a father and enjoy everything associated with it.
"It changes your life but it's all been for the good. We've been pretty blessed at the moment, she's a healthy young girl.
"I'm looking forward to seeing where that goes. Hopefully the women's rugby league is still massive in 18 years so we can get her into that."
Warner's rugby league journey:
Rugby league has played a big role in Warner's life to date.
Over the years the Cootamundra product has turned out for Group 20, Group 9, Riverina and Monaro among other representative teams.
In a storied career, Warner has been a 'gun for hire', playing for various country rugby league clubs since making his first-grade debut as a kid for the Cootamundra Bulldogs way back in 2010.
He played for the Harden Hawks in the George Tooke Shield in 2011 before a two-season stint with the Yenda Blueheelers in Group 20. Returning to Group 9, Warner spent a season with Wagga Brothers and two more with Cootamundra before helping the Tumut Blues to a drought-breaking premiership in 2019.
The 31-year-old Warner has since plied his trade in Group 7, spending two years with Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles before linking up with the Stingrays with his brothers Ben and Joe in 2022.
"It's been a great journey," Warner said.
"I've loved every minute, the highlights and the low lights."
The low lights include some major injuries.
"I think in 2017 I ruptured my PCL and had a major knee reconstruction. The season before that I had to have groin surgery at the back end of the year so I've battled through a few major injuries, it took a lot to get back on the field but I've been injury-free since them and I'm really enjoying my footy," he said.
"Another low light was the game last year, going out in extra-time by a field goal.....something similar happened to me in 2013 for the Yenda Blueheelers, we lost the game in extra-time to make the grand final, so them ones stick with you for life pretty much...but it's all part of the game isn't it, you get the highs and the lows."
There have been plenty of highs on the field also for Warner including winning the U16 and U18 premierships in 2008-09 with Cootamundra Bulldogs.
"To do that with your best mates, that was pretty special," he said.
"I think 10 years later I got my first first-grade premiership with the Tumut Blues, so I will always remember that one.
"I won the Les McIntyre award in 2018 for the best and fairest player in the Canberra competition, and along with that I was the top try scorer of the competition.
"As a front rower/back rower you probably didn't realise at the time but now I'm getting at the back end of my career, you look at those things, and it's quite special to have when you finish up. Obviously it's a team sport, but those individual accolades are still pretty special when you can get them."
Ironically his major playing highlight happened last year at the age of 30 when Warner realised a childhood dream when he helped Country to a thrilling 26-20 win over City in the CABE Men's Open Age clash at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium in Kogarah.
Warner wasn't originally picked in the team and got a late call-up to join the squad as 18th man.
An injury to fellow front-rower and Illawarra South Coast teammate Luke Chalker meant Warner gained a spot on the bench.
The talented forward grabbed the opportunity with both hands in his Country debut, making an impact in the middle and scoring a try as a depleted Country held off a fast-finishing City to claim back-to-back wins in the annual fixture.
Warner even backed up from Country's victory the day after to help the Stingrays to a 30-18 win over the Jamberoo Superoos.
"It meant the world to me to help Country win yesterday and back up today to help the Stingrays win," Warner told the Mercury at the time.
Looking forward:
The Stingrays haven't enjoyed the best of starts to the 2024 season but Warner is confident his chargers can improve as the season progresses.
"We've had quite the turnover of players, especially in key positions. We lost our nine, six and seven, as well as a few others. They're quality players lost in key positions," he said.
"So I knew it would be a tough start. We didn't all get to play with each other in the trials. So round one, round two were pretty much first hit outs together.
"I knew it was gonna be tough early going, but I really feel we've made some positive steps our last two games.
"I'm looking forward to see how the team progresses and I really think we can set ourselves up at the back end of the year to have all our combinations firing and to give it another good crack at it."
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
