Dyldam Parramatta Eels five-eighth Corey Norman found his Nines hopes in jeopardy in the lead up to the 2016 Auckland Nines, almost missing the chance to take out the tournament as captain of the Blue and Gold.
The Eels five-eighth's Australian passport found its way into the washing machine on the Tuesday night before the tournament, and with the team scheduled to depart on Thursday morning for the 2016 Downer NRL Auckland Nines, Norman spent Wednesday - his twenty-fifth birthday - waiting on a replacement.
The Eels’ Nines Captain fronted for the side's morning fieldwork session, running straight from the sheds at the Eels Training Centre to the passport office to lodge his paperwork, and collect his new travel papers just four hours later.
While both Semi Radradra and David Gower jokingly put their hands up to captain the side and step in as playmaker, Norman touched down on Thursday afternoon in Auckland with all the required documentation, going on to captain the Eels to their first ever victory in the pre-season competition.
