"Lucky to survive" - Rugby league star on drunken arrests and infamous car crash

15 January 2023 , 09:28

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Reece Lyne of Wakefield Trinity

Drunken arrests, an infamous car crash and too many close shaves to mention, England star Reece Lyne has lived life on the wild side.

But the Wakefield centre, 30, is a shining example of how to make the most of a second chance. Lyne, who now mentors young offenders, knows his career could easily have been over before it had barely begun. Yet on Sunday he features in his testimonial against Halifax having made more than 200 Super League appearances and proudly represented his country.

Asked about those near misses, Lyne said: “Where do you want to start? I’d a couple of moments when I was young at Hull FC where I got arrested on nights out pis*ed up. And then, at Wakefield, there was the Kevin Locke and Tim Smith crash incident where we all got suspended and I was lucky enough to survive. That was probably a defining moment in my career.”

Australian scrum-half Smith was sacked by Trinity when banned from driving after failing to provide a specimen following the car crash in 2015. He was also fined for careless driving and Trinity released Kiwi star Locke but fellow passenger Lyne was offered the opportunity to redeem himself. He recalled: “We were in Kevin Locke’s car which was actually (Wakefield chairman) Michael Carter’s car.

"We were having a few drinks on the way to a BBQ and ended up crashing. The police came and it all got straight back to the club. I got given a second chance and was really fortunate to turn things around. But Michael’s Audi got written off so he wasn’t best pleased. It was a long time ago but I still do grimace when it gets mentioned.

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“It’s not a pleasant memory. I wish I could go back and change that moment in time. But I’ll always be grateful to Michael for sticking by me and Brian Smith - the coach at the time -had a big part to play as well. I went around to his house and we had a big chat. I knew changes had to be made. It’s certainly a reminder of how quick things can go if you make wrong choices.”

Reece Lyne of England in 2018

Lyne, who’d endured a turbulent childhood, was still just 22 and decided to sort himself out. He’s developed into one of the competition’s leading players and since received a special award from RFL president Tony Adams for his work helping troubled teenagers steer clear of trouble. Lyne, who made his England debut in 2018, explained: “I enjoy doing what I do with these young kids as I always think life is about choices.

“Depending on your upbringing and background a lot of kids can make the wrong ones but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a bad person. Sometimes you need that second chance. It’s not always been plain sailing and happy days for me. But I’ve been a good example of how someone sticks by someone and it works out well for both parties. And I’m really privileged to have this testimonial. I can’t wait for it to get started.”

David Craven