IT is now a matter of when Jeremy Latimore again pulls on a Port Macquarie Sharks jersey following his decision last week to retire at the completion of the 2019 NRL season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 32-year-old journeyman will play a season or two in the Wollongong competition, but admitted he would then return to his junior club for a handful of games.
While it is unlikely to happen before the 2021 Group 3 season, Latimore said he was a man of his word and floated the idea of a clash with Port City as a match he would "love" to play.
"I'll 120 per cent come up and play a game for the Port Sharks," Latimore said.
"I've always said I'd do that and I don't know if I'd be able to play the season, but I'd love to come up and play a local derby.
"I'd pencil the Breakers game in as the game I'd come up and play."
Latimore doesn't have fond memories of the last game he played for the Sharks before he pursued a career in the NRL.
"It would be awesome to give back to my local club," he said.
"Even as a junior, my last game in a Port Macquarie Sharks jersey I dislocated my shoulder in a first grade game and that was it.
"I got a shoulder reconstruction and that was the end of my season."
The opportunity to "create" some more memories with his mates was one of the key factors in the decision to come back to his old stomping ground.
It's a region he still remembers fondly.
"Port Macquarie is a place pretty close to my heart; mum, dad and my sister are up there so I'd love to be able to create some memories," he said.
"I can show kids that dreams can come true if you work hard enough."
A number of things are in the pipeline for life after rugby league including continuing to work with ex-player Tony Caine building a mortgage broker business.
"I've been working the last few years with him so that'd be number one trying to build that, but that's pretty slow at the start," Latimore said.
"I've got another job lined up that's a couple of days a week, but I haven't locked that in so I don't want to say yet, but I should have that sorted in the next week or two."
When asked what the tipping point was that forced him to hang up the boots, Latimore admitted preparing for another pre-season was going to be tough.
"My love for the game hasn't waned; I still love rugby league, but at that professional level it doesn't get any easier every year you get older," he said.
"I don't know if I'd be 100 percent mentally into doing another pre-season because it's long and tedious and they train pretty hard down at the Dragons."
Latimore also admitted the opportunity to go out on his own terms was too good to pass up.
"I felt like I would have greater satisfaction looking back (on the career) if I was playing first grade compared to reserve grade next year," he said.
"I'll go and play footy for fun next year and remember why I started playing as a kid."
What else is happening in sport?
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, SIGN UP HERE.