Jordan Worboys set to shelve retirement plans

Worboys and Mick Henry were the co-coaches this year and steered the Pirates to a momentous 22-10 grand final win over Port Sharks in last Saturday at Port Macquarie, securing the club's first premiership since 1999. The Pirates are the first southern club since Forster-Tuncurry in 2011 to win the title and the first since Taree City in 2007 from the Manning.

Worboys was named player of the grand final and is also this week's Manning River Times-Iguana Sport Award winner, earning a $50 open order at Iguana.

Coaching is a now possibility next year, he said.

"Going into the game, I thought winning would be a good way to hang up the boots,'' Worboys said.

"But the talk in the last couple of days among the boys - and admittedly it was probably alcohol-fuelled - was that we want to defend the premiership.''

The Pirates were the minor premiers, but had to overcome considerable adversity to claim the crown. In the back end of the campaign top forwards Will Clarke and Isaac Worboys sustained season-ending injuries. Old Bar then lost to the Sharks in the major semi before overcoming Macleay Valley in the final to claim a grand final berth. Worboys echoed his immediate after game thoughts by saying the major semi loss was a 'blessing in disguise'. This meant a trip to Port and not a home grand final, which Worboys said ensures distractions.

"As Mick (Henry) said, we only had to worry about ourselves after we got the job done against Kempsey,'' he said.

"We didn't get caught in setting up for a grand final and the pressures of hosting it.''

The Pirates were down 4-0 early in the grand final but dominated from there to trot off at halftime leading 18-4. However, there was a momentum swing in the second half while Old Bar lost interchange forward Troy Clarke, who was sent off after coming from the bench to get involved in a fracas, while centre Shane Nigel injured ribs and took no further part.

"Shane was the best player on the field in the first half and obviously losing Troy meant we were down to two players on the bench in 31 degree heat, so it wasn't easy,'' Worboys said.

"But that's where the self-belief clicked in and the 'Pirates' chant started in the crowd in the last five minutes - that really lifted us. We'd come too far to let it slip; we were running on adrenaline.''

Worboys returned to Group Three and the Pirates three years ago after stints in Canberra, North Sydney and Central Newcastle. He took on the co-coaching duties with Henry last season, where Old Bar lost the grand final to Port City at Old Bar.

"It was a driving factor to come home and win a comp,'' he said.

"Especially after the loss last year because that hurt the most. It was great to bounce back this season and win one for the club I grew up playing for.''