'It all flooded back, all the memories': Hawkins reflects on 100 Cup games
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When Jeremy Hawkins played his 100th Cup game in Round 20 – notching up the milestone against the PNG Hunters in Port Moresby – all the memories of his time in Hostplus Cup came flooding back.
And no memory came back faster than that of winning the 2018 grand final with the Redcliffe Dolphins.
Still with the Dolphins today, Hawkins has achieved a lot in his career.
He has played at the highest level, debuting with the Canberra Raiders in the NRL in 2014. He was also signed to the Melbourne Storm and has earned his 100-game milestone through appearances at three Cup clubs – Brisbane Tigers, Sunshine Coast Falcons and Redcliffe.
But it is that premiership victory that stands as the highlight of his career so far.
“In 2018, when we won the premiership... that’s definitely up there,” Hawkins said.
“It’s probably a bigger highlight than my NRL debut.
“I heard someone once say that premierships, they don’t come around often, and at the time it happened pretty quickly.
“It was my first season at Redcliffe and looking back on it now, it happened pretty quickly and that person was right. Premierships don’t come around often.
“It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe and one I definitely cherish.”
Hawkins – who has also endured a number of setbacks, including a tough hamstring tear in his first year in the Melbourne system in 2016 – said it was surreal to find out he was playing his 100th Cup game in Round 20.
He didn’t realise until a staff member at Redcliffe told him.
While it was a tough loss to the Hunters, the centre soaked up every moment.
“It was a pretty crazy feeling,” Hawkins said.
“I don’t know how to describe it. It didn’t hit me until the week leading into it. You don’t keep track of these things but someone within the club brought it up.
“When they mentioned it, it all flooded back, all the memories. It arrived pretty quick.”
Even more special for Hawkins was getting to notch up that milestone at the Dolphins.
Since his arrival at the club in 2018 – his first year out of an NRL system – he has felt right at home.
While his game time this year has been limited due to injury and the NRL affiliation with the Dolphins, making just four appearances so far, the 30-year-old has very fond memories and bonds from his time at Redcliffe, especially with former Dolphins Cup chief executive, Grant Cleal, and Cleal’s son and Hawkins’ teammate, Tyson Cleal.
“The Dolphins were always a big club,” Hawkins said.
“Even when I wasn’t at Redcliffe, hearing about playing against Redcliffe, it’s one of the games you know have to get up for.
“Coming in and experiencing that, it’s true. For most clubs, it’s like their grand final playing against us. They all want to beat Redcliffe.
“It’s a great club with good people. I have nothing bad to say about them. I’m forever grateful.
“I still remember talking to Grant Cleal when I got here. He’s been there a long time and I remember after the Storm and not getting another chance there, he wanted me to come up.
“I can’t thank him enough. He’s done so much for my family and myself. He just said, ‘buy into what we do here, we’re a proud club and have a proud history’.
“His son Tyson, we’re really good mates now too. I’ve met so many great people there.”
And it is this love of the Dolphins and his memories of 2018 that continue to push Hawkins through every season.
He admitted it’s been an interesting year for Redcliffe’s Cup team, given the affiliation with the NRL Dolphins and the coming and going of players between the two levels.
But, with Redcliffe currently sitting in sixth on the ladder ahead of an all-important clash with the fifth-placed Central Queensland Capras this Sunday, Hawkins is hopeful they can go all the way once again.
“I know the team on the day can put it together and beat anyone,” Hawkins said.
“We have to respect the other teams because there’s a lot of good teams out there, like Burleigh Bears for example.
“But we’re ready. We train really hard and we don’t leave any stone unturned and I think when we’re on, we can put it together.
“To be brutally honest, I want to win another premiership. That 2018 one happened like that and it was my first year being a Cup player outside of an NRL system. That feeling, you can’t describe it.
“So much time and effort goes into it. Only one team gets to win it every year. Some players can play 200 games and never win one.
“To know how hard it is to achieve, it’s the feeling I’m chasing still. It’s not playing for milestones or anything like that, but the comradery with the good bunch at Redcliffe.
“To win that premiership again and let those who have never won one experience it too, that would be unreal.”
