Tallon Smith
Nathan Darby is the closest thing Albury’s current rugby league scene has to a cult hero.
The English front rower has made his mark, both on the Border club and his opponents, carving out a reputation as one of Group 9’s toughest props.
Now five years into his stint with the club, he can still recall the phone call he got from fellow English Thunder star Brad Nicholson, while at work on a gloomy Yorkshire day.
“I remember I was deep in a trench, at work, it was pissing down rain, covered in mud, and I got a phone call from my friend Brad saying Thunder are after some forwards,” he said.
“I looked up at the sky, I looked around, and thought well this doesn’t seem much fun here down in England in the rain, so I may as well go chance it.”
“I think a week later I played against South City for the trial game here, had a great game, split my chin open, Sheppy [Thunder trainer Paul Shephard] had to take me to hospital, [and] it was a four hour wait, so we decided that was too long so I just covered my face in vaseline and went out with the boys.”
With this rugged attitude towards his football, and nonchalant, friendly personality off the field, it is easy to see why the former Championship-level enforcer is held in such high regard amongst fellow players and supporters at the Albury club.
However, Darby’s journey to this point in his career has been far from straightforward, with a unique and difficult path marked by mistakes, a four-year ban and personal loss making every victory even sweeter for the 31-year-old veteran forward.
Darby’s passion for the game was evident from a young age, where he played both rugby codes every weekend before choosing the thirteen man game.
“I started playing for Milford and Stanningley when I was 10, I used to play rugby league on a Saturday, and rugby union on a Sunday, and it went on until about under 14s when I had to decide which sport I wanted to play, because they both moved to Saturdays,” he said.
“I chose rugby league, and it’s kind of worked out for me.”
Work out it did, with Darby rising quickly through the ranks, joining the academy side of a Super League mainstay before graduating to the semi-professional leagues to do his apprenticeship and aim for a top flight contract.
“I got signed at 15 through a scholarship for academy systems, and I played there until I was about 20 at Castleford Tigers,” he said.
“I moved on then to Featherstone Rovers and then ended my career for a short period at Hunslet Hawks.”
However, it was during this time that Darby made the biggest mistake of his young career, one that would ultimately curtail his professional dream.
“I made a bit of a silly mistake when I was young, trying to run before I could walk, trying to beat the system,” he said.
“I took steroids and then got banned, and paid the price of it.
“I was banned for four years by WADA, so I couldn’t play any sports, I don’t think I could even play competitive chess, not like I could do.”
With the ban putting his career on hold, suddenly Darby had lost the sport that was such a massive component of his life.
After a self-desribed period of denial, he said one of the hardest parts was dealing with the dark times and reconciling with himself and the choices he made.
“I think during the first year or so, I was in denial, making out I wasn’t bothered, but then I did hit some dark times over those few years, when I came to the realisation as to how much I messed up,” he said.
“It was obviously a big part of my life, from signing at 15 until 21 when I got banned, I used to train four or five times a week with the club.”
Eventually, the four years passed, and keen to get back into the game, Darby linked with his amateur club Stanningley to begin the process of a return to the sport.
However, there was to be another cruel twist in the story, with an injury causing him to sit out the start to the season, before another disruption occurred in the form of a pandemic.
“Coming back, a sort of funny story really, I remember the first training session back, we were just obviously passing the ball around, just messing with the boys, and I stood still and I tore my hamstring, so I was out for another month,” he said.
“The first game back, we played in the Challenge Cup when I played for Stanningley, [against] Hunslet Parkside.
“I think it was like February time, back in England in February is pretty cold, and I came off the field like I’d got sunstroke, I played probably two seven minute stints, and I just could not breathe.
“Then Covid came, so I missed two more years.
“I think I played one game, two games back home maybe, before I came over here to Albury.”
However, that is where the tale began to turn, with Darby receiving that pivotal phone call from Nicholson offering the opportunity to try his luck on the other side of the world.
It’s a decision Darby said led him to discover a new home on the Border and form many new friendships within the Thunder club.
“They’re a great club, I’ve loved my time here so far, and met some amazing people, friends for life now,” he said.
“The boys are good, the club is, all the coaches I’ve had here have been good, Etu’s great with the boys now, so hopefully it’s going to be a big year ahead.”
However, the front rower does admit he did have some reservations at the beginning.
“I think if I’m being honest, at first I was like, ‘I’m not sure about this’, it’s a bit quiet, because I come from the fourth biggest city in England in Leeds, and I came here and there is only 60 or 70,000 or something like that, I thought it was a bit too quiet,” he said.
“Then I got used to the quiet pace, and I’ve gone back home sitting in traffic and stuff like that, it’s just not for me, so I’m glad I’m staying here.”
In another tough development for the resilient front rower, just as his rugby league career was finally back on track after two seasons in Albury, Darby and his family were left devastated following the tragic passing of his brother, Darren.
After returning to be at home with family in the aftermath, Darby said that it inspired him to continue striving for improvement in his own game and play in his brother’s honour.
“I feel like after losing my brother I definitely focused more on my footy to make him and my dad proud,” he said.
As for whether he harbours any desire to return to play or live closer to family in the UK, Darby said while he won’t rule it out, he is settled and happy in both life and football on the Border.
“Maybe in the back of my mind sometimes I would like to go back, especially when I see certain players that I played against, and I’m happy for them doing really well, but [I think of] how I could have progressed further,” he said.
“I’ve got a really good life outside of [footy] with my partner, so I’ll just see what the future holds
“I don’t live with any regrets, it happened for a reason, I’m here living in Australia now.”
Darby will begin his fifth season with the Thunder when they host Wagga Kangaroos in a twilight match under lights in round one on Saturday April 18.
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