As disappointing as Parramatta’s dismal start to the season has been, nothing will rock the spirits of prop Tim Mannah like the news that his brother was back to square one in his cancer battle.
The Eels are rooted to the bottom of the NRL ladder on just one win with coach Steve Kearney under increasing pressure to turn their season around, but the NSW State of Origin hopeful refuses to turn up to training without a smile for one simple reason.
“Because the way Jonny handles himself makes it easier for everyone around him,” Tim said on Wednesday.
“You can’t find it hard when you see how good he’s going.
“… It’s been a real good perspective, realising that football isn’t the be all and end all of your life.”
Jon Mannah, who had bravely battled back into a position to return to the NRL after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2009, had a relapse in his cancer fight late in the 2012 pre-season – with the new treatment to be even more aggressive.
Tim admitted the latest news hit even harder than when Jon was initially diagnosed.
“It was more frustrating to be told at first,” said Tim, who like his teammates will wear a yellow armband in Friday’s clash with Canterbury to support the Cancer Council Call to Arms round.
“The scans show that the cancer is back and basically he is back to square one.
“The encouraging thing is that it was the same cancer so they do have the ability to get rid of it like they did last time.
“But this time, they’ve got to do an extra bit of treatment to lower the chances of it coming back.
“He’ll go through a bit more intense treatment this time, but his attitude has been amazing.”
After playing 24 games with Cronulla since debuting in 2009, Jon joined the Eels this season in the hope of packing down with his brother – and had been turning heads straight away.
“He was coming fourth and fifth in the time trials … that blew most people away,” Tim said.
“But he started to decline the last two weeks (of pre-season) … it was kind of obvious to see in those last few weeks that something was wrong with him.”
More immediately, Mannah says the Eels are desperate to capitalise on their fast finish against Wests Tigers last Sunday, when they scored 30 points in the final 13 minutes of the 31-30 loss, and spark a Cronulla-style revival of their season.
The Sharks dropped their opening two games of the year despite putting in strong performances before embarking on a six-game winning streak that has cemented them in the top four.
The Eels experienced a similar reversal of form in 2009, when they won seven of the last eight matches of the regular season en route to a grand final appearance.
“I think that shows you what a team can do once they have belief and a bit of momentum going their way,” he said.
“I kind of experienced that a bit in ’09. When things are going your way, it feels like the ball is bouncing your way and everything is working for you.”
