At the end of every winter I’m asked: how do you survive the six months of the footy off season?
October, November, December, January, February and some of March, yes, that is a long time between drinks for passionate rugby league fans.
Temporary despair is obviously one option. Tearing out your hair is another – assuming you have some hair.
But seriously, as you get older it slowly dawns on you that the rugby league off season becomes not a time of loss, but of opportunity.
We only have five options in this column, but I am sure you good people could think of hundreds of ways you could make yourselves useful to your families, and, indeed, society for almost six months.
And in our case, when you follow the Wests Tigers, we sort of wish next season starts as late as possible, if ever.
Robbie in reserve grade: need we say anything else?
♦ Top 5 ways to help you get through the footy off season:
Number 1. Get a new hobby, such as knitting, but avoid making yourself a footy jumper in your team’s colours. Certain to bring back bad memories. Stamp collecting, anyone?
Number 2. Community service. Make yourself useful by volunteering for a few of the scores of activities in your local area, like removing graffiti or general clean ups.
Number 3. Join a political party and get involved in leadership challenges. Three of those and the footy’s back before you can say Malcolm Turnbull.
Number 4. Unlike bears or lizards, humans are unable to hibernate an entire half a year, not yet anyway. But how good would that be for that really crazy footy fan.
Number 5: When all else fails, grab a bag of chips, plonk yourself in front of the TV and watch summer sports like cricket, soccer and basketball.
