Sporting Profile: Ade Adebisi

TURNING his back on the prospects of a rewarding soccer career with Tottenham Hotspur to try his luck at rugby league in the capital might seem to have been a strange choice for a sports-mad teenager living down south.

But there are definitely no regrets for Ade Adebisi. He’s adapted well to a drastic change of lifestyle and his performances have made good judges sit up and take notice, latterly at Wigan where they definitely know a good wingman!

So life is good for the young Whitehaven winger. He loves his rugby and, what’s more, the fans at the Recre have taken him to their hearts in a very short space of time.

Not only do they like his happy-go-lucky Martin Offiah-type personality, but also the sheer speed, skill and strength which has already set the Recre alight. The excitement factor!

Offiah came north from the south in the 1980s and was an instant hit at Widnes. Ade is still only 21 and wouldn’t for one minute wish to compare himself with the legendary ‘Chariots’ (who would?) but his ambitions are high.

And one of the highest is eventually to play Super League for Whitehaven.

Ade is an athlete but there’s a whole world of difference between Adebisi and Dwain Chambers, who recently tried to re-invent himself in rugby league. Ade can actually play the game – and very well too.

The fact that Adebisi is rarely without a smile and may seem to have a laid-back personality should not disguise the fact that he’s single minded and determined to succeed in his chosen sport. And if he’s an underdog then all the better!

His career began with London Broncos where he played in Super League but since then he’s been no stranger to the north, having worn the colours of Hull, Doncaster and Featherstone Rovers.

To say the least, Whitehaven are delighted they were able to tempt him to the Recre, but it’s not true they signed a London lad.

Far from the smoke, Ade was actually brought up among the leafy glades of Kent.

His late father was an architect and his mother works for a museum at London Bridge. Their well-educated son has professional aspirations of his own and they lie four-square in the world of sport, notably rugby league for the foreseeable future.

So what were the quirks of fate that brought him to a place of which he knew little and where he’s now domiciled (at Bigrigg) with his flatmate and team-mate, Saia Makisi, who has also made a big impact in the chocolate blue and gold.

“I was mostly a football man, followed Arsenal and had the chance of trials for Tottenham but I got into rugby through my teacher from school, Mr Hurst, from Bradford, a rugby league man through and through.

“Mr Hurst said I was fast, and he took me to London Scholars, where I played one game and quickly got snapped up by London Broncos.

“I managed to get picked for the South of England RL team but, as the match coincided with my trials with Spurs, I had to choose between rugby and soccer.”

Surely a lot of young London lads would have jumped at the chance to go to White Hart Lane.

“Yeah, definitely, but it was all down to the influence of Mr Hurst. I think I could have made it at soccer – even at that level – but there’s no regrets about going to rugby. I’ve never looked back.”

Had you heard of Offiah?

“No, I’d never watched rugby league on television, but I have met him since. I think he’s an agent these days and watched our match at Salford.

“First of all, I went into rugby union with London Wasps in their junior set up, played a couple of games and realised I preferred league as I could get more of the ball.

“At the Broncos, the player development manager was Phil Jones, who gave me lots of encouragement, even picking me up from home to take me to The Stoop.”

One of the first things Dwain Chambers was told was that RL was a brutal sport – any qualms yourself on the physical side?

“I think I was more athletic than strong at that stage, that’s what made me stand out, along with the speed.

“It was quite hard when someone was running at you full pelt. I remember my first hand-off, I got it full in the face. I didn’t think it was legal but I’ve got a good hand-off myself these days.

“I became a full-time pro for Broncos at 18. First of all, I was under the wing of Dave Rotheram in the juniors and was top try scorer at under-18 level before getting my chance in the first team.”

Tony Rae made me 18th man for the first five games, then I was put on the bench for my debut in Super League against Leeds at Headingley; I was so scared I didn’t want to come on, the crowd must have been around 20,000.

“Tony asked me whether I wanted to play full-back or wing. I opted for full-back and the first thing I had to do was catch a spiral kick from Kevin Sinfield. After that, it was happy days. I had to stay over the same weekend and play for the Broncos in the under-18 play-offs against Wakefield. We lost to Leeds but beat Wakefield.

“Because four or five of us became too old to carry on playing at under-18 level, Broncos decided to loan us out to get more experience, so we went to Hull FC and were in the Grand Final winning team for the under-21s.

“John Kear was the Hull coach and, when the loan period finished, he signed me up for two years.

“I had a first team squad number but didn’t get in due to the likes of Gareth Raynor, who was a GB winger, and Nathan Blacklock, who was a top Aussie State of Origin winger.

“That’s why John Lebbon and Paul Lancaster have to be patient at Whitehaven. I was in the same situation at Hull and Broncos as they are now.

“It was good experience at Hull but when John Kear got sacked I don’t think I got on with the coach who took over (Peter Sharpe) who has just been sacked himself.

“I don’t think Peter gave me a chance anyway, so I went back to the Broncos, or Harlequins as it was by then.

“It was just my luck that, by the time I got back, all the injured regulars were okay again. I was playing well in the under-21s, then Tony Rae got sacked and Brian McDermott took charge.

“Brian was in the Marines. He’s a very tough man and a good coach who is big on mental toughness, one of the reasons I think Quins are doing so well. We, the young ‘uns, didn’t really get a chance though because it was a relegation battle.”

What brought you back up north then?

“I got a phone call from Alan Hunte, the former Great Britain winger who was at Salford but also helping out with Doncaster. Alan said he’d like me to go to Donny which I did on a two-year deal. It was going well and we had a great squad with the likes of Joel Penny, Ricky Sherriffe and Ryan Tandy.

“Donny went bankrupt and I got a move to Featherstone. Everyone’s contract got ripped up. We didn’t get paid for a month and players were allowed to leave. It was pretty hard and I was in limbo over what to do.

“The first person to leave was full-back Loz Wildbore, who was a good friend as we were at Hull Academy together in that Grand Final team, so I followed Loz to Post Office Road.

“We won a NL2 final with them against Oldham in which I almost scored.

“David Hobbs at Featherstone offered me a two-year deal but Gary Wilkinson, who had been coach at Donny, was a friend of Paul Crarey’s at Barrow.

“Then, when Paul went to Whitehaven I got a call saying he wanted me. I thought ‘that’s miles away’ but Gary convinced me it was for the best. I needed to challenge myself. Featherstone offered me the two-year contract but Gary advised me not to sign.

“The Whitehaven deal was on the table for me. Then I spoke to Des Byrne and liked what I was hearing from him.

“I had to think long and hard about moving up here, leaving all my friends behind. Right now I think it was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made. What a welcome I got, and I’m trying my best to repay that.”

Any big lifestyle changes?

“It’s a very big change, there’s nothing really to do in Whitehaven. Me and Saia just sit at home a lot of the time but we’re here for the rugby – that’s our lifestyle.”

Was it rural or urban area you came from in Kent?

“I’d say posh. When my father died last year it was pretty tough. It was also around the time that Donny went bankrupt and I didn’t get paid. I just had to deal with it, so when I got the chance to join Featherstone, I grabbed it with both hands .

“I think my life has been mostly influenced by people.”

What about that Wigan cup tie? Haven were beaten 106-8 but you impressed.

“We actually went into that game thinking we could win after the way St Helens beat them, but for some reason it didn’t happen.

“They must have had a helluva grilling from Brian Noble and showed us no mercy, and they did a similar thing to Warrington in Super League only a few days later.”

In boxing terms, you were not only on the ropes but on the canvas when you came out to play Salford in the next home game.

“Yeah, the best thing to do is to be underdogs. I never ever like to go in as favourites. When we’ve been favourites to win, we’ve lost – Featherstone away, Batley at home, Oldham away – while the games against Leigh, Celtic and Salford, when we were underdogs, we’ve won.

“Sometimes when things go wrong you have to blame the players, it’s our living.”

Did the financial turmoil affect the players?

“For me personally it did, because I had been through all that already at Donny. When Barry Richardson came back on the Board, I was hearing good things about Barry and my worries were eased a lot.

“We just need the crowds to come in. I’d always heard that The Recre was a fortress, so a lot of that can be down to the home fans getting behind us.

“All we need now is that lift. If the fans can stand by us over the next five games or so I know we can kick on and make the play-offs.

Everybody asks who’s the quickest, you or Craig Calvert?

“We don’t know actually, but if the fans want to know then maybe at the end of the season they can come back to the ground, pay a fiver to see me and Craig have a race – probably with John Lebbon and Paul Lancaster – and we could make some money for charity.

“Calvert and I are different players. I am faster I think over a short burst and he’s quicker over a longer stretch. I am quick and explosive and he’s lightning over the full length, but it could be Lancaster – that kid is fast.”

Are you a pretty relaxed character?

“Yeah, I try to be laid back. That the way to be, you just have to be chilled out. I always think about the game though, what I should or shouldn’t have done, but you can never let an opponent know you are scared of him – even if you are. I am nervous before a game but if a player is not nervous there is something wrong.

“At the end of the day, it’s the rugby and it’s what I love doing and I want to strive to be the best I can.”

How do you think you can get better?

“Getting fitter and stronger. Sometimes you don’t realise how isolated you can be on the wing. I remember Paul Goodwin telling me the Featherstone fans said I was a poor defender – well I have proved what sort of defender I am.”

What was your ambition down south as a young boy?

“It was to be a sports person. I played for the football, cricket and basketball teams for the school, that’s what I was made for – to play sport. It was Forest Gate Community School and we didn’t play rugby at all of any code. It was a sports school that didn’t play rugby.

“I left school at 16 and did sports science, but I thought I‘d carry on with my studies later on. I’ve been full-time rugby player since I was 17.”

So what’s your ambition now?

“Still carry on with the rugby and, when I do retire, to do something in the sports science or fitness field. But I would love to play Super League with Whitehaven.”

You surprised a few people that you’ve signed on for a further 12 months!

“Like I said, I am really enjoying it. I have made the NL1 Team of the Month on the last two occasions. But I can do more, and no matter how well you play, you always think you can do better.

“You know what people expect of you and you can’t drop your game. People say ‘do you want to go back to Super League,’ well name me a player who wouldn’t. It’s everyone’s ambition. I’m here for four years when I’ll be 25 when my contract finishes.

“Super League, for me, is still the same game playing on the wing, you may get put under more pressure, that’s all. Me and Calvert both love scoring tries, to put points on the board for the team.”

Would you like to play for one of the top teams?

“I feel I would like to fulfil my contract with Haven. Barry Richardson said to me the club would never stand in the way of me going into Super League because you can always come back. It would be tempting but, as it is now in my life, I want to stay at a club after what happened at Doncaster.

“At Whitehaven, we have some good young kids and the best thing is team spirit; you want to make the tackle and score the try for your mates.”

You have this young tyro at No 7 ( Gregg McNally) and the golden oldie (Tane Manihera) at No 6?

“Yeah, it’s a strange thing. I think it was Barrie McDermott who said that he (Manihera) was old enough to be his dad! All eyes were on Gregg against Salford but, if Tane hadn’t kicked all those goals we’d have lost. The pressure was on and it didn’t phase him.

“Ged (Stokes) does things for a reason. He’s a very smart guy, people underestimated him, and some wanted him to fail because he was at Workington. It shouldn’t be like that. Ged is not here to fail at the end of the day.

“He is confident and he breaks things down, he likes to be perfect in everything he does. Both Paul (Crarey) and Ged are different, yet they both want the same in their approach to games.

“Ged is a real tough bloke who wants to make us stronger. He’s very composed in the dressing room, and if he doesn’t think something has worked, he will change it.

“People told me how the Recre used to be a fortress – that’s something I want to know about. We have shown we can do it.”