He’s made just five NRL appearances in 2022 and hasn’t been seen since Round 8, but veteran South Sydney Rabbitohs winger Josh Mansour believes he still has a lot to offer in the NRL.
The man they call ‘Sauce’ has struggled for game-time at the Rabbitohs thanks to the brilliant form of Alex Johnston and the emergence of young talents Jaxson Paulo and Izaac Thompson, and has been told to seek future opportunities elsewhere.
But despite being without a club for the future, the 32-year-old isn’t giving up hopes of an NRL return.
“It’s definitely hit the ego a bit hard, I’m not going to lie,” Mansour told Channel 9’s Danny Weidler.
“But now I’ve just got to focus on the present, there’s not point worrying about what’s happened in the past.”
Despite the fact Mansour has represented Australia, Lebanon and New South Wales in some of the NRL’s most intense arenas and biggest stages, he’s still experienced plenty of self-doubt throughout the uncertainty of 2022.
“That’s been my biggest disappointment, having to question if I still have it in me (to succeed)," he said.
“A couple of months ago I went through a pretty rough patch mentally, questioning if I still have it, if I still have a love for the game.”
A Rabbitohs junior, Mansour was handed his NRL debut by Penrith back in 2012 and spent nine years at the foot of the mountains before returning to the cardinal and myrtle of Souths.
The experienced winger has scored 86 tries in 174 appearances, and is glad to be feeling like his old self as he looks toward an uncertain future.
“I’m glad I got out of that funk and re-aligned myself,” Mansour said.
“I want to keep playing, that’s what I keep coming back to.”
Mansour has been busy in the meantime, starting up his own home renovation company. If he doesn’t find himself back in the NRL, he wouldn’t mind if he followed in the footsteps of Omar Slaimankhel and wound up on Channel 9’s The Block.
“I’d love to be (on the Block) if anyone’s watching.
“It’d be stressful but I’d give it a crack, I’m sure it would be good entertainment.”
