OUTSTANDING Wallaby utility back, Andrew Kellaway, vowed to help put an end to Australia's sharp decline in world rugby union standings with the next generation of international players at a Forster Tuncurry Dolphins function at Peter Barclay Field.
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"Our last World Cup tournament was extremely disappointing," he said.
"Every young, ambitious rugby player in Australia will feel frustrated as I do. We never want to witness it again.
"We are too strong a rugby nation to see it happen again.
"So, it's back to training and or preparation again, shoulders to the wheel, no complaints, no excuses. We are potentially an excellent team. Now we have to prove it, to ourselves and to Australia's rugby community."
The Cup defeats by Fiji and Wales in the early rounds and then the team's elimination, he said, were unacceptable.
Used in various positions in the Australian back line in his time with the Wallabies, Kellaway's ambition is to secure his position as goal-kicking fullback for the Wallabies.
A rugby product from Scots College in Sydney, Kellaway was visiting his parents, Ian and Liz Kellaway, now domiciled at Green Point.
His sponsor, the Asics shoe company, helped organise the function at the Dolphins clubhouse at Peter Barclay Field.
Among Dolphins at the function were new club president, Kurt Forester, former presidents, Ben Manning and Greg Harvie, and players who took the team into last season's preliminary final, captain-coach Blake Polson, Liam Brady, Kaleb Trudgett, Memphis McBride, Max Elmes, Chris Simon and Neil Flanders.
Polson, an outstanding backrower, considered his chances of continuing on as captain-coach of the Dolphins were 60-40.
His serious injury from last year in which he severely damaged neck ligaments was now "all sweet, pretty well perfect."
He missed three months football through the injury last season.
Training for the men and women squads is expected to start at Peter Barclay Field, Tuncurry, in mid-February.
