It’s a bit different to Yorkshire Street . . .

Oldhamer Mark writes about joining Sydney’s Wests Tigers

ANOTHER day at the beach and thought I’d get in touch to let you know what’s occurring here in Australia.

Pre-season is now coming to an end and, after nearly three months of training — gruelling stuff — I am jumping out of my skin to start playing competitive rugby league.

The first ‘trial’ match is, away to North Queensland Cowboys.

We’ve got a three-day stay in tropical Mackay, where temperatures regularly reach 40 degrees . . . wish me luck!

Away from the training pitch, The Tigers took to Sydney harbour for a boat cruise to celebrate Australia Day.

It was a public holiday and their equivalent of St George’s Day. I was tempted to have a Union flag painted on my face to show my true colours, but I couldn’t find any red, white and blue make-up anywhere.

Recently, the Tigers players have been partaking in a few ‘team-bonding’ sessions with trips to the bars and clubs of Kings Cross.

As rugby league is the main sport in Sydney, NRL players are treated like royalty here, so free entrance to clubs and free drinks all round is commonplace . . . not so much like Yorkshire Street.

Finally, good luck to the Roughyeds in their search for a new ground, and also the amateur clubs in the borough, especially Saddleworth Rangers.

I’ve been following Rangers’ results and hopefully they can kick on and get promotion from division one of the National Conference League this season.