League: French leave for Stacey Jones

Stacey Jones

It seems like only yesterday that the pint-sized talent of Stacey Jones motored into view.

Now, after a couple of curtain calls, the final bow is not far away for the 30-year-old league icon, and the search will be on to fill his boots in the Kiwis.

New Zealand has been well served at halfback over the years and in various forms: the courage of Kenny Stirling, the class of Clayton Friend, Gary Freeman's longevity - these have been the benchmarks.

Jones' talent and attitude were such, though, that he was earmarked to be the best of the lot even before he delivered on the promise or made his first-grade debut for the Warriors in 1995.

And so it has been.

Jones will play his 44th test, against Great Britain in Christchurch tomorrow night, after a yes-no-yes-no retirement stagger through the past few seasons.

He contemplated retiring altogether after a difficult 2004 Warriors season, the year he quit international football.

The arrival of Brian McClennan as Kiwis coach persuaded Jones back in 2005 - McClennan wore his heart on a sleeve and the champion halfback answered the call from the popular coach.

Having initially returned for the Australasian part of last year's Tri-Nations, Jones continued on, and on into 2006.

While Jones refuses to speculate on his 2007 test intentions he is adamant that his second season for Les Catalans Dragons in the European Super League will be his last.

"I've got my mind set on finishing up next year," he says.

"I certainly don't think I would ever return to the NRL and I'm looking at retirement.

"When I first started I thought it would be great to play to 30. I've really enjoyed France but we do miss home.

"In a perfect world it would have been good to complete the last year of my Warriors contract, but the body and mind were tired. I needed a change.

"I'd got to a point where I certainly wasn't as quick or agile as I used to be although I've got a lot more experience.

"And if I'd stayed that final year at the Warriors, I might have missed the opportunity to go to France."

As Jones tells it, his experience of playing in France has been everything you might expect it to be.

Jones, his wife Rachelle and their three children - aged 11 months to eight years - live in resort-type accommodation in the town of Canet.

From the outset, Les Catalans struck problems with their initial coach being fired.

But they beat Wigan in the first match. Then, just 10 minutes into the second on a Friday night in Salford, Jones - the club captain - broke his arm. That left him on the sideline for nearly four months.

Jones was the star recruit in a team with a major Australasian contingent, so big in fact that one wit labelled them Les Pattersons after the antipodean comic creation.

The club is based in the rugby stronghold of Perpignan but attracts up to 7000 loyal supporters to games. Jones says he is rarely approached in the streets.

"But when people do come up to talk to me, I don't know what they're saying," says Jones.

"The first two weeks were pretty difficult but then you get confident about trying to speak the language a bit.

"About eight of the players had French lessons twice a week but after long trainings you tend to daydream. The people respect you though if you at least try to speak a bit of French."

There was the almost inevitable introductory language course from the French players in the Les Catalans squad.

"They'd teach you swear words first," he says.

"They caught us out a couple of times. You'd think you were asking a team-mate, 'How's it going?' and find out you'd just told him to $

@* off."

The French club, he says, is about 10 years behind the league times. There is often no strapping, treatment or massage available.

"You learn to get by," he says.

And then there is the league culture clash, although not an entirely unwelcome one. The flamboyant French players' tendency to take risks on the field is not the only difference.

At one of the earliest team planning sessions with Aussie coach Mick Potter, the French players voiced their disapproval at having to train all day.

"They like to have their siestas between 12 and two," says Jones.

"They don't eat much breakfast but they like big lunches, a few wines - they're hopeless when it comes to sticking to the sports diet.

"They love their croissants and late dinners. And to be honest, that lifestyle became pretty tempting for the rest of us.

"We've got a lot of NRL veterans but it's a place where a lot of us have gone to finish our careers, and you want to enjoy the lifestyle. We liked to live like they do at times."

The croissants, you suspect, had something to do with Jones' below-par performance against Australia at Mt Smart Stadium before he got closer to his best in Melbourne.

Les Catalans won eight matches in their first season, but were saved from relegation only by a dispensation. That means Jones will be able to say au revoir to his playing career from the exotic league outpost of Perpignan.

As the curtain begins to fall on the Jones career, the search will start for a new Kiwi halfback.

Jones picks out Lance Hohaia, the Warriors utility.

"I believe he's got the makings but that leaves a problem because [Australian] Grant Rovelli is playing halfback," says Jones.

"It might be best for Lance to find another club, which would be great for New Zealand league.

"But then again, he is in the Warriors' plans so it wouldn't be good for them."

That is a matter to be decided, but there is no doubt of Jones' place in the game, and that we are witnessing the final stages to one of the greatest Kiwi careers.

Publicly reserved, he has remained the crowd favourite throughout.

Despite his superstar status, there has been an almost schoolboy exuberance to the way he plays, the little bloke capable of tormenting the giants.

Maybe that is why it is a career that feels as if it has come to its final stage too fast.