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With his uncles’ support, Titans’ Kane Elgey to debut for dad
THE AUSTRALIAN MARCH 28, 2015 12:00AM

Those who know Gold Coast *Titans rookie Kane Elgey say the turning point was only a couple of years ago. Confronted by the death of his father Ron — taken in his 40s by leukaemia — Elgey had a choice. He could allow the grief to consume him. Or he could honour his father on the football field.

“His dad wouldn’t miss a game,” Elgey’s uncle Russ Kerr told The Weekend Australian.

“He was his rock. He would cart him to footy training and games. His dad was there the whole time. For Kane, seeing his dad going through that — it would have been over a three or four-year period — is amazing.

“He was at the crossroads. His mates were all surfing and having a great time. Kids at that age can go one way or the other. He just knuckled down and wanted to do it for his dad and prove to everyone he was capable.

“He is a very talented kid.”

Elgey will make his first grade debut for the Titans today against Cronulla at Toyota Stadium. Off contract at the end of the year, he will make his bow as rival clubs, most notably Manly, circle.

It’s a far cry from this time last season, when Elgey didn’t know where rugby league would take him. Amid the concern over his *future, he started working with another of his uncles, Dan Davidson, in his pool plumbing business.

Elgey would spend his winter days in icy water searching for leaks before heading to training in search of an opportunity.

“He got a bit worried,” Davidson said. “He was going so well and that year he expected something to happen. There wasn’t a lot happening until the end.

“He wanted to do something in case it didn’t work out. It is freezing cold in winter but because Kane had his ice baths at training, it didn’t worry him.

“It was the best winter I had.”

By year’s end, Elgey had been named in the Holden Cup team of the year and earned a new one-year deal with the Titans. It got even better on Dally M medal night when he was named Holden Cup player of the year.

“When he joined the Titans’ full-time squad for the pre-season, that was the end of it for me,” *Davidson said.

“I said ‘can you help me on a Saturday?’. Kane said ‘no mate, sorry’. He didn’t want to let me down.

“But I said if football is where you’re going, that’s what you have to do.’’

It’s unlikely to be necessary. Elgey has had to bide his time in the Queensland Cup this season but an injury to Daniel Mortimer has created an opportunity for the 21-year-old.

His selection has given him the chance to honour his father on the game’s biggest stage.

“His dad and I would be watching him all the time,” Kerr said.

“To see that (Ron’s death) happen and then Kane kick on — I have an unbelievable amount of admiration for what he has done and the way he has achieved it.”

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/nrl/
Go get em LG!!