There's a numbing quality to the way top tier athletes can bring their skills across into other disciplines.
NRL players are often seen as blunt instruments, shaped for the collision, the aerial contest, the yardage return into heavy contact. And while it's been 17 years since he hung up the boots and retired from professional rugby league, seeing Hazem El Masri darting around a padel court in Sydney's southwest, it's evident that the foundational gifts of the greatest point scorer in Canterbury Bankstown's history can translate into a completely different sport.
His geometric genius with his feet are evident in his hands. El Masri is just as artistic on the artificial turf as he was in the blue and white. His current obsession is padel, a racquet sport that's growing rapidly in Australia. Over 90,000 Australians have joined the sport recently and there are over 200 courts at 44 venues.
Seeing an NRL legend slapping winners in a glass box is quite a sight.
50 years old and carrying wear of 317 NRL games, he nursed a visibly sore right knee and a strapped left hamstring. He has the mild stiffness of a veteran warrior but on court he moves and plays like a seasoned expert of his newly adopted sport.
Despite physical niggles, he dominated set after set. Club Padel Spot formally made him an honorary member and presented him with a new racquet.
Off the court, El Masri remains who he has always been, a figure of immense warmth who has time for everyone. Attending the venue with a number of his long-time mates, he still offered total presence to young boys from the area as well as some older fans carrying memories of 2004.
The labels that historically framed him such as devout Muslim, Lebanese immigrant, anti-violence advocate and premiership winner are all still true. What many don't see is the quiet depth of his character.
He has endured his own trials in the public glare, including a wrongful accusation from which he was entirely exonerated in 2016 - a process that burned away any trace of vanity, leaving behind a man anchored by patience, empathy and genuine moral leadership.
Asked about the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, his hot tip was that a Samoa versus Tonga final is an absolute possibility.
“I wouldn't be surprised to see that at all, the way these two teams have been building for years,” he told Zero Tackle.
El Masri is scheduled to enter the Lebanon national camp to mentor the Cedars ahead of their clash with France. The squad is still processing a tough 42-18 loss to PNG.
"Lebanon made some poor errors and got off to a slow start," he noted.
"They never recovered from that and I was surprised and disappointed that the score line got to that."
On tonight's match against Tonga, he was positive but candid about the mountain to climb.
"There are some excellent players in the Lebanon lineup, but it's hard to compete against guys that have existing combinations and who are playing football together and at the highest level every single day," he said.
In camp, he'll likely offer mentorship to Jacob Kiraz, who starts at fullback against Tonga tonight. Both are proud Lebanese-Australians who captured the hearts of the Belmore community and both came through the Bulldogs systems on the wing. In 2022, it was El Masri who presented Kiraz with his rookie of the year award.
El Masri's love and devotion to the Bulldogs is still strong. He offered an honest assessment of a year that fell well below expectations.
"We had a great 2025, but our consistency took a hit in 2026. Possibly due to complacency. Our effort in beating Penrith, pushing the Roosters to the wire and beating the second placed Warriors showed what we could actually do.”
He lamented losses against sides lower on the ladder and refused to blame coach Cameron Ciraldo or football boss Phil Gould.
"It's a team game and you play for each other. This year, I thought that sometimes that was there, but sometimes it wasn't. Last year I could see it in every game," he said.
Looking at the roster, El Masri said there were some missing pieces.
"We have a fairly balanced side on paper, and maybe the utilities have proved their worth, but we're definitely in need of some more forwards to share the load," the former winger added.
He praised incoming recruits Freddy Lussick, Jesse McLean, Connor Votano and Jaxson Allen, seeing real promise in the added depth. He spoke highly of Connor Tracey, noting his big metres and his hard running out of deep territory, but suggested that Canterbury's spine would reach another tier if Tracey could add the subtle flair and deception possessed by the competition's premier fullbacks.
As people slowly left the courts in Minto, it was strange watching Hazem packing his gear into the boot of his car. For all the qualities he can be admired and praised for, it was his human side that saw him touch the lives of so many. His humanity and care not just for his brothers, but for strangers is his most genuine quality.
For 14 years, he nailed the most pressurised kicks in the history of the game and leapt comfortably over players who were taller than him as ‘El Magic'. To see him applying that same perfectionism to a glass cage on a suburban weeknight, is to understand that sporting genius doesn't retire, it just changes the playing field.
