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In front of just a few hundred punters, and for only a few thousand dollars, Jason Saab will make his professional boxing debut at the Revesby Workers\u2019 Club.<\/p>\n
Given the risk is high and the reward is minimal, there appears little upside in Manly allowing one of its star players to trade punches in the middle of pre-season.<\/p>\n
But for the man widely considered the fastest in rugby league, stepping into the ring against the unknown Kusitino Sireli on December 9 is about so much more than cash or cachet.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, I thought I was going to get a chicken parmie and a beer after,\u201d Saab quipped.<\/p>\n
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The poster for the boxing debut of Sea Eagles winger Jason Saab.<\/span><\/p>\n Saab was originally scheduled to fight – potentially against former Dragons teammate Zac Lomax – on a card arranged by No Limit, the promoters overseeing the career of Tim Tszyu.<\/p>\n When the timing didn\u2019t allow that to occur, the 23-year-old didn\u2019t hesitate at the chance of boxing in front of a much smaller audience.<\/p>\n \u201cNot being the most physical player I can be and should be sometimes, I just thought boxing [training] was aiding that a bit,\u201d Saab said. \u201cThe weeks that I did the training, I was a bit more physical on the field. I thought by doing this, I\u2019m putting myself in a really uncomfortable position. It\u2019s not about money for me, it\u2019s a local show.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not making $20-$30k, it\u2019s about testing myself as a person, testing my character to see what I\u2019m really made of. I want to see how it transfers to my footy season when it comes to being physical and contact, being aggressive. It\u2019s just to test myself and improve.\u201d<\/p>\n Boxing coach Hassan El-Achrafi, who is also working with Sea Eagles teammates Josh Schuster and Josh Aloiai, has been honing Saab\u2019s technique for the past two years. There\u2019s a big difference between punching the pads and an opponent, but Manly coach Anthony Seibold didn\u2019t hesitate in providing his blessing.<\/p>\n \u201cI showed \u2018Seibs\u2019 I was on a card at Revesby and it didn\u2019t change his mind at all,\u201d said Saab, who is part of a fight card that includes former Samoan centre Joey Leilua.<\/p>\n Jason Saab is up for a new challenge.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>SMH<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cHe was very happy for me to do it because he can see the effect it\u2019s going to have on me, the positive impact. Of course there are going to be risks involved, but Seibs could see there is more good to come out of it than not, that it will help our footy team if I\u2019m more physical.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all about my growth as a person. Even just training and sparring has brought out so much in me. I walk around differently, not like I\u2019m arrogant, but just knowing I\u2019ve been in those confrontations that you don\u2019t get into every day as a normal person. It impacts you as a person, you\u2019re just more confident. The whole fight is a reward for the work I\u2019ve put in during the training camp and the sparring.\u201d<\/p>\n Saab\u2019s decision to box is all the more remarkable given that he was bullied at school. Well before he had filled out and grew to a two-metre giant, the Westfield Sports High graduate struggled with confidence and self-esteem. Now an established NRL player, he has no hesitation in taking on another physical challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m usually my hardest critic, so I don\u2019t give myself much credit for the things I do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Jason Saab and fellow winger Josh Addo-Carr show their speed.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>SMH<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cI guess sometimes when I look from the outside in, if I could go back to that kid in school who was scared to walk around the school, scared someone would say something to him or of getting picked on, I never thought I\u2019d be doing the things I\u2019m doing now.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just God\u2019s plan. I realise I\u2019m doing it to show kids what they can make of themselves. I don\u2019t just owe it to the younger version of me, I owe it to kids going through that stuff now.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just trying to be the best athlete and person I can. If that means taking opportunities to box and play rugby league and the like, then so be it.\u201d<\/p>\n Having already scored 51 tries in 69 games, Saab hopes his cross-code challenge will result in him putting together his best season to date.<\/p>\n \u201cI have really high expectations of myself this year,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to make the [State of] Origin squad. I\u2019m going to shoot for the moon this year, I want to achieve everything that\u2019s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Sports news, results and expert commentary.<\/i><\/b> Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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