Cayless relives vital kick

parragirl · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:20 am Post subject: Cayless relives vital kick

Match winner ... Nathan Cayless / The Sunday Telegraph

By Chris Wilson | March 30, 2008 12:00am

NATHAN Cayless laughs as he describes his regular kicking practice, launching left-footed bombs before training, aiming to hit Eels team-mates in the head.

But the Eels skipper says he just wanted to stop the "mucking around'' when he kicked a crucial field goal in Friday night's 24-23 golden-point win over the Newcastle Knights.

Cayless has absorbed the jokes - and has made some at his own expense - since landing the shock one-pointer that sent Friday's match into extra time.

Former Canberra Raiders premiership-winning prop Paul Osborne confronted Cayless immediately after the game, revoking his membership to the frontrowers club.

Cayless, too, says his only previous attempt at a field goal was when he was playing for Parramatta's Under-17 SG Ball team, and he dribbled it all the way along the ground from 20m out.

But with Parramatta trailing 23-22 and looking panicked in attack, Cayless stayed calm.

"It was just one of those things that happened. We were mucking around with the ball down there and, I dunno, I just kicked it,'' Cayless said.

"I'm glad it went over, otherwise it could have been very embarrassing.''

Cayless, who is left-footed, said Friday night's would be his first and last field goal.

Retired Eels forward Ian Hindmarsh kicked a similar one last season to seal a win over Penrith.

"Maybe you just get a bit older and know what needs to be done,'' Cayless said.

"It was a bit of a shock, I suppose. All the boys out on the field were a bit shocked, I think the crowd was shocked and I was shocked myself.''

Kicking spontaneity was contagious, Knights forward Corey Paterson attempting to kick a long-range field goal to snatch a win in the dying seconds of regular time.

"He got under that a bit too much; he's got to keep his head down,'' Cayless laughed.

Despite his heroics, Cayless reserved most praise for Nathan Hindmarsh, who played just two days after losing his father Bill to cancer.

"It was a very courageous effort. Speaking from personal experience, it took me a couple of weeks to be able to get back and play footy (after his mother's death last season).''

http://www.news.com.au/dailyteleg.../0,26799,23453001-5012654,00.html

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