Johnny Mannah preparing to to return to the field - Herald Sun
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Johnny Mannah preparing to to return to the field
By David Riccio
June 09, 2010 12:00AM
JOHN Mannah never gave up hope. Sure, there were those dark days. Days he can't even remember. Like the whole week he lost in his living room.
Too sick and tired from the chemotherapy, he didn't have the strength to take a step.
But yesterday, the inspirational Cronulla prop felt like running a marathon.
Capping 286 days of torment and pain, Mannah added the final chapter to one of sport's most endearing comeback stories by being named to play rugby league again this Saturday.
Less than three months after his final chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma, the 20-year-old will return for Cronulla's NSW Cup side against Balmain at Henson Park. And the 114kg prop can hardly contain his excitement.
"I'm back, baby," an elated Mannah told The Daily Telegraph yesterday. "I'm one happy bloke at the moment."
But moments after having his comeback confirmed by Sharks head conditioner Trent Elkin, Mannah conceded his will at times had been severely tested.
"Sure, there were definite times of doubt, but never in myself did I give up on it," Mannah said.
"Throughout the whole time I just kept telling myself, 'there's going to be a day when I play again'. I never gave that up ... and here I am."
Yep, here he is.
The hulking prop who has stunned his peers and inspired his older brother Tim, who plays for the Eels.
He's tortured his body to make it back.
From throwing up at his first sprint session back from treatment to doing secret weights sessions in the gym.
He's a devout family man and a gentle giant who coach Ricky Stuart describes as "the most mentally tough player that I've ever met" in more than 20 years of football.
"I haven't seen anything like this before ... the strength of mind that Johnny Mannah has," Stuart said. "He's really one of a kind."
But the modest Mannah doesn't see himself as anything special.
"I don't look at it that way. If I can be, well that's great," he said.
"But I'm not so much proud of myself. I can't sit here and take credit for it because so much of getting through it has to do with my family.
"My close friends, too. And also, when I was first diagnosed, my family and I were overwhelmed by the support we got from the footy community.
"It was unbelievable. It still hasn't sunk in."
Mannah says he doesn't care how many minutes he gets on Saturday, but he does concede there will be nerves.
"I'm ecstatic right now, so I can imagine this feeling multiplied by a little bit more," Mannah said.
"In terms of physically, I won't know until I get out there.
"But I'm sure there'll be nerves that kick in because that's normal for me."
But one thing Mannah won't have on his shoulders is pressure.
"The coaching staff were talking about not naming him on the team sheet so that there wouldn't be any pressure on him ahead of his first game back," Stuart said.
"I told them, 'Pressure, what pressure? He's just beaten cancer'.
"I'm pretty sure he won't be worried about playing a game of footy. It's just a fantastic story."