Since doing my knee and retiring from professional rugby after 11 seasons I’ve been back in town 3-years and have enjoyed taking a back-seat view of the game. It was disappointing to see the various administrative dramas unfold at the Brumbies this year and I look forward to the new era under new CEO Michael Thomson. Hopefully it will again be an organisation where decisions are made based on the values the place was founded on…Betterment, Respect, Unity, Mateship, Bravery, Intelligence, Enjoyment and Success. 

I see a few similarities between the Brumbies 2017 squad and the early years of the organisation, with a number of fresh, home-grown products contracted, Jackson-Hope, Cusack, Powell, Staniforth, and a good mix of old-heads. There is also every likelihood that with a number of big-name players from previous seasons now gone, and David Pocock on sabbatical, the underdog tag will be thrown around at the start of the Super Rugby tournament. None more-so when they face the likes of the Queensland Reds in R7 at GIO Stadium. The Reds are a side now boasting Wallabies Captain Stephen Moore, 10-time Brumbies Players Player Award recipient, George Smith, Quade Cooper, Scott Higginbotham, Rob Simmons and a host of other highly experienced players.

Experience in professional rugby cannot be underestimated and it will be up to the likes of Scott Fardy, Ben Alexander, Scott Sio, Tevita Kurindrani, the Faingaa twins, and of course coach Stephen Larkham to maintain a level-headed approach to the high-performance program both on and off the field. Yes, the young guys have their place in the squad, injecting enthusiasm and energy to training and strategy, but when the clock is ticking down to the 80th minute and the game is in the balance, 50+ games of experience gives players an edge that you can’t replicate in any training environment.

While the anticipation and uncertainty of what the 2017 season will deliver for fans, family and friends of the Brumbies, one thing is certain…professional rugby is a contact sport and guys get busted, beaten and broken. Everything from broken and badly dislocated limbs, torn ACL's, concussion, hamstrings and even some heartstrings….it will be interesting to see if the Canberra community gets behind the team the way it has the Raiders. I experienced the Viking Clap on TV with a room full of passive Raiders fans and was blown away.  

With just over 4,200 members signed up to date it could be another lean year in the stands. When we played the 2004 Super Rugby final in front of 28,753 and the Crusaders, coached by Robbie Deans, made their way back into the match despite being down 33-0 after just 16 minutes, it was that incredibly vocal crowd that helped us regain momentum and get the result we so badly wanted. When you are up against guys like Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Brad Thorn, Justin Marshall and the great Andrew Mehrtens (70 caps for the ABs) as we were that night, you need more than luck to be on your side. 

For the development of the game in the region, the enjoyment of spectators and for all the players, coaches, staff, family and friends who put so much support behind the playing group, I hope the stands fill up week-in-week-out. And, even if the results don't go the right way, I am sure we'll see a well-coached team with an unbreakable spirit, unbreakable determination and unbreakable commitment to representing the Brumbies and all who have worn the jersey before them. 

Have a great Christmas break, and like you, I look forward to catching all the Super Rugby action in the new year and providing my thoughts, here on the Capital Express blog.

Matt Henjak attended St Edmund's College (ACT) and was contracted to the Brumbies in 2003 as a 19-year-old by now England coach Eddie Jones. He has four caps for the Wallabies. Since leaving the Brumbies in 2006 he has played for Harlequins (UK), the Western Force (Perth); Toulon (France) and finished his playing career with US Dax (France).

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Matt Henjak in action for Toulon (France) in 2009