Rocco Berry. Photo / Photosport
Warriors’ centre Rocco Berry has had a fast-tracked apprenticeship, thrust into the NRL after barely playing the 13-a-side code as a youngster. Michael Burgess catches up with the Warriors’ quiet achiever on his progress, getting used to the physical demands and the mysterious award in his name.
Rocco Berry has an award named after him at the Warriors – even though he has never actually won it.
The internal honour is more tongue-in-cheek than anything, given to a player guilty of “carrying on” or over-celebrating a try or another moment during a match. The banter started early last season, after a NSW Cup game at Mt Smart against the Bulldogs, where the first-grade squad had been watching on.
“I passed the ball and someone else was going in to score and I put my hand up for a little bit,” Berry told the Herald. “The boys were taking the p*** out of me and the coaches a little bit too. It was a funny joke [at the time] now it has turned into this award, which I have actually never won.”
It’s not handed out every week – and Berry doesn’t know who has won it the most – but laughs that injured five-eighth Luke Metcalf was “right up there”.
“He carries on quite a bit, as you have seen.”
It’s quite ironic, as Berry is one of the quietest members of the squad and not particularly demonstrative. But it’s also a sign of the affection and respect he has earned, in his unlikely journey from schoolboy rugby prodigy to a solid, dependable NRL centre.
Players and staff know the hurdles he has faced. One teammate told the Herald earlier this year his progress was “amazing”, considering his background, which coach Andrew Webster put in context nicely after the round three win over the Raiders in Christchurch.
“He’s 33 games [now 39] into his NRL career but he is like 60 games of rugby league in his life, cos he’s a union boy,” said Webster. “Sixty games of league and half of them are in the NRL – that’s pretty crazy. We haven’t seen the best of Rocco yet.”
The rawness means there are still ups and downs. Berry was outstanding in that Christchurch match – one of the best on the field – and very good in a five-game bloc to start the year, particularly against the Storm and Knights but hasn’t had the same impact in the last fortnight, echoing the team’s struggles. But overall he now feels like he belongs in the NRL, after a steep learning curve.
“I have worked hard to be in the position I am and I take confidence from that,” he said. “I feel like I am here for a reason and I need to back myself to do that.”
Hailing from Greytown in the Wairarapa, Berry excelled for St Patrick’s Silverstream in Wellington, a standout in their 1st XV. His highlights reel attracted suitors from multiple Super Rugby franchises before the Warriors swooped.
He had his first full preseason ahead of the 2020 campaign, before getting the nod for the opening NSW Cup game. And that was it. The reserve grade competition was binned two weeks later – due to the Covid pandemic – and Berry spent the rest of the year training in Auckland, dramatically curtailing his apprenticeship.
But just seven games into the following season, Berry was thrown in first grade, against the Melbourne Storm of all teams. He featured in eight games in 2021, winning just one, part of a team that was marooned in Australia and going backwards, with unfortunate signings like Kane Evans and Matt Lodge.
It wasn’t an ideal environment for a youngster to grow but he kept working hard. In 2022 he had seven matches and another head coach, with Stacey Jones at the helm following Nathan Brown’s mid-season exit. Last season under Andrew Webster was the fruiting of the vine. Despite a delayed introduction due to injury – with his first NRL appearance coming in round 11 – Berry was a near ever-present after that, managing more than four consecutive matches for the first time in his career.
“It was my first year of playing back-to-back games,” said Berry. “It takes its toll but your body gets used to it. You’ve got to make sure you are looking after things off the field otherwise it will catch up with you.”
Berry is naturally modest but also proud when he reflects on his rise, considering his lack of league exposure.
“There were a couple of games at school but it was all rugby really. I never thought I would get the chance to go down the pathway to play NRL. It happened when I was 16 or 17, I got a manager who asked if I would be keen to try it. I said ‘yeah’ and straight away it ended up escalating from there and I am happy I went down that route.”
There is still a lot to learn but plenty of upside. Berry has natural flair – shown by his flick pass to set up a try against the Storm – but is more appreciated internally for his focus on the basics: kick chase, defensive positioning, work rate and competing on every play.
Although he is getting noticed more, he enjoys being mostly under the radar: “I don’t have it the way the other guys do, the higher-profile guys.”
Sunday afternoon’s match against Newcastle will be another big test. The Warriors are under pressure, while Berry will be marking the nuggety Bradman Best, one of the most powerful centres in the competition.
Whatever happens, the 22-year-old won’t change his methodical approach to improvement – and certainly won’t be chasing his own award.
“I just try to be myself, make sure I am keeping my head down and working hard and try not to get carried away with anything and focus on trying to be a better player each week.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. He has also reported on the Warriors and NRL for more than a decade.
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