IT'S been a long, hard season for Saints . . .

And no player has borne his share of the graft more than 23-year-old prop Julian O'Neill who, since making his debut at Central Park on Boxing Day, has made a remarkable 33 appearances.

The 6ft 3in 17 stone O'Neill arrived at Knowsley Road on the recommendation of New Zealand and Auckland Warriors coach Frank Endacott, and his Saints' opposite number Shaun McRae needed no second invitation to take up the offer.

Despite overtures from Warrington, Julian put pen-to-paper on a two-year contract with Saints and was greatly influenced in his choice by ex-Knowsley Road star Tea Ropati, who made it clear to the youngster from Auckland that he was joining a top club.

O'Neill's oval-ball baptism came at Liston College alongside Warrington's Willie Swann, and on leaving school Julian went on to play for the Marist club and the Te Atatu side.

His first taste of the 'big time' arrived on signing for Auckland Warriors, with whom O'Neill served his apprenticeship by making 30 reserve grade appearances and six in the senior squad before deciding to broaden his experience in England.

"It was a whole new world to me when I landed at Manchester just before Christmas, which was my first away from home," said Julian, a single man now living at Great Sankey, "and my initial training session was at Anfield with Steve Prescott just hours after touching down. "Looking back on my nine months at Knowsley Road I made the right decision because it has been a happy time, with team-mates, officials and supporters making me feel at home.

"I was glued to the television set when Saints won the Challenge Cup against Bradford Bulls last year, and little did I think then that I would pick up a winner's medal against the same opposition 12 months later," added a grateful Julian O'Neill, whose father Gerry is enjoying a holiday with him after jetting in on the same plane that brought Saints back from Australia.

Commenting on Saints' ill-fated trip to the Ericsson Stadium in the World Club Challenge a rueful Julian said: "It was a humiliating experience for all the lads and, in particular, for me as a former Warrior's player plus Vila Matautia and Apollo Perelini, who are not exactly strangers to Auckland.

"However, it had its brighter side for the three of us because, with Saints having a three-day break, we had the chance to visit relatives and friends, and from my point of view it was good to see my sisters Sandy and Janine again, along with other relatives in Christchurch, which of course, is in the South Island," ended O'Neill.

Having played for a New Zealand 13 and also the President's team, Julian's burning ambition is to win a Kiwi Test cap and, judging by his form in the World Club Challenge games, the strapping young man wearing Saints' No. 15 shirt is certainly on course to attain his goal.

For he topped Saints' tackling chart with 162 and was second only to Wigan's Mick Cassidy overall, which is wholly typical of the man in the opinion of Shaun McRae and discerning Saints' fans, who have also witnessed the sheer hard work of Julian O'Neill, who is so often an unsung hero.

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