It’s been a month since Rabbitohs’ recruit Jesse Arthars first stepped onto Redfern Oval and, despite a gruelling preseason, the young fullback’s desire for success has only grown bigger.
“I’ve been loving it. I’ll be honest it has been getting tough, definitely the last two weeks of preseason have been the hardest that we have done so far but it’s good to get those out of the way and work towards the Christmas break,” said Arthars.
“All the boys are feeling it but we’re all ripping in and getting through it really well.”
Settling in nicely into the Rabbitohs way, Arthars has enjoyed playing next to the senior Souths players, where he has learnt from some of the best in the business.
“I think having those senior players back at training has made training easier for me because you know you need to step up when you’re around them and they’ve been through preseasons before so they know how to get the best out it,” he said.
However, the 19-year-old says his time with the new coaching staff has helped him improve his game immeasurably.
“The coaching staff have really helped me with my game and are helping me around the club, letting me know what to I need to do on and off the field,” he added.
“It’s been especially good working with the physios and the development coaches it’s been really good to learn off them and learn new tricks.”
Arthars has taken a lot on board in his first month at Redfern and has learnt from a variety of Souths figures, including from some past players.
“Learning from the older generation is very important for my development and understanding of the Club, there is a real rich history here.
“It’s good to learn from them and to find out what they’ve been through and listen to their experience as well as telling them what we are going through as current players.”
It is safe to say that Arthars has settled in nicely at South Sydney and has a clear mind heading into the 2018 season - but he knows there is still much to learn.
Luckily for Arthars, his teammates are more than willing to make sure he is accustomed to the first grade, giving him an extra bit of attention during a beach training session.
Discussing a graze on his forearm, he said: “It’s from the beach wrestle, we had a tough beach session last week and a few of the boys were ripping into me.
“I was pretty sore afterwards but that’s footy for you, the more I get used to getting knocked down the easier it will be for me to get back up.”
