As a young ’un, Little Rob was told he was too small,
considering he was five-foot nothing, to run and score with the oval ball.

But he wouldn’t listen, and forged his own path in the 13-aside game,
much maligned in this country, where soccer reigns supreme.

He brought a smile to the hearts of us rugby leagers,
as he made the opposition big lads wish they could take an ‘early bath’.

I saw him in the bar after t’match, and thought he was a school boy,
instead of the greatest, littlest scrum half.

When the pressure was on in the Superleague Grand Final,
he scuttled under the grasp of a big forward,
to score the one that got his team the trophy,
that day at the iconic Old Trafford.

But now he is fighting the cruel hand of fate,
with the same energetic fury as when he took the field, 
refusing to accept he’s beat, 
with the help of the rugby league faithful, 
and the legend that is Sir Kevin Sinfield.