The Crush - Scott Monk

The Crush
by Scott Monk

"On the thirty metre line he dropped the ball and grubber-kicked ahead. The Lions fullback tried taking him out with a shoulder charge but missed, Matt zigzagging out of the way. But the manoeuvre had cost him ground. The Lions captain caught up with him and the race was on.

The ball rolled into the in-goal area, the two captains desperately trying to reach it first. Whoever did so would win the game."

A rarity in rugby league literature is the sporting novel. Scott Monk's The Crush is a brilliant read for teenagers and young adults.

The story centres around 15 year old Matthew Cassidy. A prodigious schoolboy rugby league player, trying to find his place in the world.

Growing up in the working-class suburbs of Sydney, Cassidy attends the local high school while his single-parent mum struggles to make ends meet.

The Crush brings together many issues that young teenagers face growing up in the suburbs of Australia's cities and towns. Rugby league seems to offer a way out for Cassidy and his family, but he has to find balance with school work and a part-time job to help his mother put money on the table.

His school rugby league team is on the rise - as captain and the star player he becomes the centre of attention. After Cassidy's team scores a surprise victory over the top-shot neighbouring private school team, he suddenly has some new enemies. It results in clashes on and off the field.

Amidst this, Cassidy begins to wonder and learn to cope with the issues of growing up without a father. He also gets a "crush" on a girl from the nearby Catholic school - who happens to be the girlfriend of the rival team's captain.

The drama builds as Cassidy faces these issues, while his rugby league team moves towards the finals and the premiership decider - as his enemies conspire to end his dream of a first grade rugby league career and a fairy-tale finish. Life has no guarantees, and the book's ending may not offer the predictable finish (I'll not say!).

Written in descriptive language, by an author who understands the game of rugby league and the importance it plays to the aspirations of many young boys and families, The Crush is an easy and enjoyable read.

For teenage rugby league fans who find it difficult to get interested in reading, The Crush may well be the book to get you going. Even for older readers, the story holds enough interest to consider picking up a copy.

The Crush
Scott Monk
Published by Random House Australia
ISBN 1741660009
322 pages (paperback)
RRP $16.95