When the logistics around playing his footy with Bathurst St Pat's, living in Oberon and working in Lithgow began to take a toll, Greg Behan thought he only had one option.
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"It was basically at the stage where I was going to hang up the boots," the Group 10 representative prop said.
Retirement at 30? You bet.
Behan, after coaching St Pat's in the 2018 season, was about to pull the trigger.
"But a few of the Workies boys got hold of me," he added.
Those Workies boys, led by skipper Corey Willmott, helped convince Behan to continue his playing career, just a little closer to home and work.
Behan signed on with Workies a fortnight ago and made his first appearance with his fourth Group 10 club - he's had stints at Oberon, Panthers and St Pat's - in Lithgow's upset win over CYMS.
He then last week, again, helped lead Workies to a second win in as many weeks, this time 40-12 over Blayney.
It's the first time Workies has strung consecutive wins together since they enjoyed a four-game winning streak to end the 2017 regular season.
Graeme Osborne's men have found form in 2019,as well, and Behan, Workies' biggest pick-up in years in both stature and experience, has a warning for his new club's Group 10 rivals.
"We're definitely building," Behan said ahead of Lithgow's trip to Bathurst to take on defending champions Panthers on Sunday.
"I think there's still four or five guys out with injury but this weekend will tell the tale, obviously up against Panthers.
"If we get a few of those boys back there's no reason we're not a top four, top five team."
It's a belief that will be firmly tested when Behan and the Workies boys tackle Panthers at Carrington Park.
The defending champions are coming off their first loss of the new season and Doug Hewitt will be desperate for the men in black to get their premiership defence back on track, quickly too.
I don't think there's ever a good time to get Panthers, though ... they're the benchmark team.
- Lithgow recruit Greg Behan.
Really, it's the worst possible time to be drawn the premiers.
"I don't think there's ever a good time to get Panthers, though ... they're the benchmark team," Behan added.
"It's about worrying about ourselves and if we can complete well it'll go a long way to sticking it to them. It'll be a good test on the weekend."
On that front, Behan said Corey Willmott has been really impressive at training while the returning Jono Van Veen adds an almost unrivaled competitive streak to the Workies line-up.
"And Greg Alderson, he's moved into the backrow and he's been playing unbelievable football, he has," Behan added, his move to the group's most eastern club a potentially permanent one, too.
"Like I said to the boys down there, with full-time work and if the body holds up there's no reason I can't go for another year or two.
"We'll see how the body goes."
Workies take on Panthers at Carrington Park from 2.15pm. Under 18s league tag kicks off the day from 9.30am.
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