By Jack Brady (NRL.com)
Underneath Wollongong's WIN Stadium hangs the motivation Dragons recruit Mose Masoe is using to ensure a memorable NRL return – a picture of the Red V's 2010 premiership win.
While it goes without saying every player wants to win a premiership in their lifetime, St George Illawarra's 32-8 win over the Roosters five seasons ago holds special significance to the former Tricolours prop.
Failing to figure in coach Brian Smith's final 17 for the grand final, Masoe watched on from sideline as Ben Hornby and Darius Boyd orchestrated the Dragons' first premiership win, and the first of either of the two clubs that comprise the joint-venture in 31 years.
"Funnily there's a picture on the wall in the Dragons' gym of the 2010 grand final. That's my motivation, I keep looking at that picture," Masoe told NRL.com.
"I mean business now. That was my debut year in the NRL and I missed out on the finals series so for me it's massive motivation."
Masoe isn't one of those "join 'em if you can't beat 'em" type of guys, rather his two seasons spent at English giants St Helens made him hungry to return to the NRL.
Having won the 2014 Super League title under now-Knights coach Nathan Brown, Masoe said there is still a void in his rugby league career which is fuelling his return to Australia.
"When I left I was a bit immature so I've learnt a lot as a player. I was able to win a competition over there, but even then I felt something was still missing," Masoe said.
"I always said I'd go over there for two years and experience what it's like over there but I've always wanted to come back. To be at the Dragons especially I was stoked.
"I'm pretty young still, only 26, but the team here is really young so I'm one of the oldest at the club."
Known for his accountancy work during his previous stint in the NRL, Masoe is ready to embrace the competition's focus of off-field education.
"They're really pushing education over here so I really want to do something off the field. I really went off the path of starting to become an accountant so I don't know what I want to do now but I have a couple of months now to work it out," Masoe said.
"One thing I took for granted was the off field stuff like education so I need to get on top of that because there's a lot of good opportunities presented to you as a NRL player and you have to make the most of them because your career could be finished tomorrow."
