Saturday 1 February 2020 12:05, UK
Among those watching from the sidelines in Istanbul as Ankara Phrygians beat Trakya Gladiators 44-16 in last year's grand final of Turkey's domestic rugby league competition was none other than Aidan Sezer.
It might seem like an unusually exotic locale for the new Huddersfield Giants captain to be taking in a spot of rugby league, but there is a simple explanation.
Sezer's father was born in Turkey before moving to Australia and the 28-year-old has maintained that connection to his roots, with the switch to Super League from the NRL for the 2020 season meaning he is closer to his ancestral homeland.
That connection extends to the former Canberra Raiders man having the desire to play for the Turkish national team, having been denied the opportunity previously after being called into the squad due to the effects of a gruelling club campaign.
"All of the times we've anticipated playing, I've been a bit busted up from the NRL season," Sezer said. "Hopefully soon I can play for my father's country of birth and I'm looking forward to doing that.
"Football over there is pretty entrenched and it's going to be tough to penetrate what they've already developed there. But rugby is a growing sport and it's got a long-term vision to be one of the leading sports there.
"If I can be a catalyst for that and encourage young Turkish lads to play the game it would be something I'd be proud of. But I just want to get a cap first, represent my father's country of birth, pull the jersey on and sing the national anthem and embrace everything about it."
"I just want to get a cap first, represent my father's country of birth, pull the jersey on and sing the national anthem and embrace everything about it."
Closer to his new home in West Yorkshire, Sezer is aiming to set an example too after being named Giants skipper by head coach Simon Woolford soon after arriving at the John Smith's Stadium.
It is a sign of how highly-regarded the man who played a key role in Canberra's run to their first Grand Final appearance since 1994 is, although Sezer believes the captaincy is a natural fit for most players in his position.
"It's something that instils a lot of belief and confidence in me for the club to give me the captaincy, but I think we've got a great leadership group at the club and a lot of experience in the squad," Sezer said.
"I think we can all share that role, but in terms of being captain I think that comes with me being half-back of the team and getting the boys around the field on game-day.
"I think most half-backs of rugby league teams can slot into the captaincy role if needed, but it's a matter of the way they conduct themselves away from training and being a positive influence on the team."
Woolford has been a long-time admirer of Sezer's ability and spent much of the 2019 season pursuing him before finally securing him as the first marquee player signing in Huddersfield's history on a two-year deal.
Sezer left negotiations in the hands of his agent while he focussed on his season with the Raiders, which ultimately saw them come up just short in a 14-8 defeat to defending NRL champions Sydney Roosters.
He has tried not to think about that game since then, admitting the defeat "is the emptiest I've ever felt", and is eager to help get Huddersfield into a position where they are competing for silverware after the club were embroiled in a relegation battle in 2019.
The words of one of his former team-mates John Bateman - one of several English players now starring for Canberra - are serving as inspiration following his move to Super League, which starts for the Giants with a trip to Catalans Dragons on Saturday evening.
"He knew I'd enjoy it (moving to England)," Sezer said. "He said 'if you're going to go, you'll enjoy it and you'll fit in with the English culture'.
"I've done that so far and he anticipated correctly, so I'm looking forward to the season ahead and playing my best football.
"We know what we can do at the Giants and the potential we have in the squad, and that's something we plan on delivering on."
