Since 15, Jake Friend knows every nook and corner of Roosters. In 2008, he promised to set high records for Roosters, while the club also secured him a lucrative contract payroll throughout the years.
There were times when Jake thought he was invincible enough to choose the unprofessional route. He was hooked to getting drunk and conveying an erratic behavior. At 18, he was already a debutant for Roosters, but he wasn’t sorted till Nick Politis, Chairman of the Sydney Roosters, pulled off his extrinsic motivation. The fatherly side of Politics sacked Jake from the Roosters and suggested him to get a real job.
“I cared about Jake a lot, but he needed to learn, so I sacked him and told him he had to go and get a real job,”
“He didn’t know at the time, but my mission was ‘father’ him through, make sure he was a better man for the experience.”
Jake Is Desperate For 2021 Contract
In 2010, he got back to Roosters again after the repeated session of counseling and rehabilitation. Today, a decade later, he still longs to play in the club without knowing the real deal of salary cap and contract worth.
Jake only wants games, competition, and numbers on the scoreboard. Last time, his schedule was limited to six games because of his bicep and arm issues. Thus, he is desperate to play for the club despite the unpredictability of contract worth for the 2021 season.
“I definitely want to play on, obviously with everything going on we don’t even know what the deal is for next year, so my main priority at the moment is to get some games under my belt.”
“haven’t played much footy in the last couple of years, so I’m pretty excited to get out there and string some games together. I want to play all 18,”
Jake’s High School Sweetheart Saved Him From Life-threatening Mishap
Once, his agent Steve Gillis revealed that he is an elusive person who doesn’t enjoy the spotlight much. At the same time, he isn’t a social media person too. Jake and his girlfriend, Paige Duffy, rarely share social media space, unlike other footy duos. Though they are an on and off couple since high school days, both have stood firmly for one another.
Back in 2014, Paige became a life-saver when all of a sudden, Jake complained of breathing difficulty at 3 AM. She called for an ambulance, and Jake was rushed to the nearby immediately. As per the diagnosis, he suffered from Haemothorax, an internal hemorrhage, inflicted through the chest trauma. Well, the chest trauma was the result of the high collision between him and a Melbourne Storm opponent, the same day at Allianz Stadium.
Next, he was promptly administered for surgery and blood transfusion and then taken to the intensive care unit.
Fortunately, Paige was by his side as he felt difficulty in breathing following the few hours of collision with a Melbourne Storm opponent. Footy players are often prone to bruises, injuries, fractures, or after-match bumps. After all, the rugby league is a contact sport, and physical bumps are unavoidable.
