Iron man Murayama a perfect signing for Sharks

THE shock defection of Rockdale fullback Takuya Murayama to local rivals Sutherland could prove to be the Sharks’ shrewdest acquisition in years.

An ever-present in four seasons at the Suns, Murayama fits perfectly into the playing style favoured by new Sharks coach Carlos Villazon, whose demand for attacking football has been drilled into his youthful side since preseason training began in November.

“My structure is all about playing attacking football,” Villazon tells Football NSW. “The big challenge for me is getting the playing group, which has many young players, playing a football style that works for the club.”

Murayama’s durability and experience will be vital to Sutherland’s fortunes in 2016. A box-to-box player capable of delivering a telling cross, the 28-year-old is hoping his professionalism will set a positive example for his new teammates.  

“I’ve been in this competition for the last five years,” Murayama tells Football NSW. “And in four years at Rockdale I played every game, I never missed one. In my first three years there I played every minute of every game. I try to always be consistent and I challenge myself and look after myself like a professional.”

Murayama concedes that his professional attitude and steely mindset are his main strengths and it’s those qualities that the competition’s ‘iron man’ wants to pass onto his young teammates at the Sharks.

“The competition is obviously semi-professional and players need to work to earn money, but I treat my football with a professional attitude. I look after my body, I keep fit, I adopt a professional mindset. On the field I can run all day for the full ninety minutes. I want to show the young players that they need a professional attitude if they want to succeed too.”

So why did Murayama leave Rockdale?

“It’s a long story but Sutherland was very keen to have me in the past two seasons,” he says.  “They made me an offer before the end of the 2014 season and last year during the season they asked me again. It’s a kind of a challenge for me because I was very comfortable at Rockdale. It was my home for four years. So maybe it was too comfortable for me. I think I’m maybe one of the longest (serving) players at Rockdale. It was a very, very hard decision for me to make.”

But make the decision he did, trading one club with a quality lineup and big expectations, for another not so accustomed to the same lofty ambitions and demands.

“They have many quality players at Rockdale and Sutherland have a lot of young players. I might have a different role at Sutherland to bring the young players through.”

Despite finishing a disappointing tenth last season, the Sharks remain confident their blend of youth and experience will be enough to challenge for a place in the top five. Murayama agrees.

“Obviously we expect to get in the top five,” he says. “But we have to work on a lot of things and we need to be more competitive at training. We have a lot of good players and we have to work hard. If we can do that as a team, we can go forward.”

Murayama’s excellence extends beyond the football field. With a keen interest in the human body, he graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo with a degree in sports science before coming to Sydney to pursue his football ambitions.

“I’m very interested in the human body and conditioning. I have a bachelor degree in sports science from Japan,” he says, before adding that he’d like to immerse himself into some more football-specific studies once his playing days are over.

So what made him chase his football dream in Australia?

“I liked the idea of playing overseas and had the opportunity to trial at Bonnyrigg (White Eagles),” he says. His trial was succesful but after one season in southwestern Sydney, Murayama moved to Rockdale.

And in just his second season at the Macedonian-backed club, he faced his old team in the grand final, a game the Suns lost 1-0. That defeat remains one he still struggles to come to terms with.

“We were very low after that game, especially for me playing against my old team” he says. “To lose by just the one goal was disappointing.”

So will Murayama feel any extra pressure when Sutherland faces Rockdale this season?

“They (Rockdale) look very good this year and I wish all the best for them. I don’t think I’ll feel any extra pressure but it might be strange when I go to their home ground because I know most of the players, most of the fans and the committee. But that’s part of football and we have to adapt.”

Rockdale’s loss is definitely Sutherland’s gain and the youngsters at Seymour Shaw Park will certainly benefit from their new teammate’s professionalism and commitment to excellence.

-By Derek Royal