Courtesy of www.foxsports.com.au
By Brent Read
February 26, 2009
Chris Sandow went back to the Aboriginal community of Cherbourg in Queensland over Christmas. While he was home, some of his friends tried to convince him to take drugs.
Sandow stood his ground. At 20, the South Sydney half-back - coming off a year in which he announced himself as a star in the NRL - is intent on becoming a role model for the people of Cherbourg and a representative for his club.
"I get emotional going back home and seeing all my friends and family back there," Sandow said.
"There's a lot of potential back there. It's hard knowing they could have played in the NRL. There's a group of guys there doing training now because I inspired them.
"There's heaps of guys who should have played NRL before me. My friends did the wrong thing. I listened to my mum - she just told me they can still be my friends, but don't do what they do.
"They encouraged me to do drugs. I told them I can still be your friend, but I don't do that. I tried to talk them out of it."
On Saturday night, Sandow will make his Charity Shield debut against St George Illawarra. He believes he is a better player than the one who finished last season as the NRL's rookie of the year.