ETHAN Natoli would take home the award as Super League's most frustrated player – at club and test level.
For the London star cannot understand why the top flight is not supporting the Broncos, who were seemingly condemned to relegation before a ball was kicked.
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And after seeing Italy excluded from the Rugby League World Cup, he feels like the sport is shooting itself in the foot!
If not for his performances for his heritage country in the 2022 tournament, he would be playing in the parks of Sydney while working as a plumber.
Now he is part of a team looking to build on his first Super League success on the 11the time to ask and brave the lowly IMG rating of 24e stay up.
Natoli swore prior to today's meeting with Hole KR after beating Hull FC: “I'm always one to prove doubters wrong. I definitely use that as motivation.
“It's hard to invest in a season when, before it even happens, they almost say, 'You're not staying up.'
“How do you tell a 20-year-old boy whose dream is to play in the Super League – and there were plenty who did their very best to get up – that before you get the chance, you only have one gets. years to prove yourself?
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“Now the mood is very different after our victory, it is a monkey off our backs. The pressure starts to build and you can forget how to win. There is talent in the team, but you can lose that confidence.
“Hopefully we can get that energy going and when I hear, 'They're just there to make up the numbers.' No, we want to win games. A lot of talent has been unearthed and that win will help us move forward.
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“In the catchment area classification, they have only given us one area London, which is quite slow because our southern players come from all over: Kent, Essex, Surrey, Northampton, Hertfordshire.
“The real catchment area is almost a quarter of the country, but they gave us a small piece and there are thousands of kids going back and forth between rugby league and union.
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“If they don't keep us at the highest level, you don't know what will happen in five years. With the rating we have, it doesn't look very good for us to get back to the highest level.”
As if the obstacles facing the club were not enough, Natoli's path to international glory has also been blocked after Italy was one of the countries – including Scotland and Ireland – to be relegated from International Rugby League membership.
This means that they cannot participate in the next 10 team World Cup – down from 16 – leaving the 29-year-old to believe the sport is cutting off his nose to show his face.
And he should know what advantages having parties like Italy, Jamaica and Greece can bring.
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He added: “It's frustrating to see what's happening. The IRL helps the Pacific teams, which they need, but five or ten years ago they were beaten by Australia by 50 or 60 points.
“They were in the same position as Italy and who wants to watch a World Cup with only ten teams? Look at rugby union, where teams get wrecked, but they're still entertaining matches.
“The more people play the game, the better it will all be over. If you keep it at ten teams, what will get a younger kid to represent somewhere if there is no opportunity to do so?
“I went back to Australia and got the call to come to London. I wanted to hang up the boots and play park rugby, but I thought, 'I'll never get this opportunity again.' So after talking to my family I took it and it changed my life – I loved it.”