BY CURTIS WOODWARD

“Here I go again on my own – goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known! Like a drifter I was born to walk alone, and I’ve made up my mind, I ain’t wasting no more time.”

Ladies and gentlemen, Jamal Idris has come in from the cold.

“Just another heart in need of rescue, waiting on love’s sweet charity, and I’m gonna hold on for the rest of my days, cause I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams!”

Welcome back, big fella. Plenty has happened in the rugby league world you left behind in 2015. Jarryd Hayne is now a Gold Coast Titan, Robbie Farah is a rabbit, Cronulla won a premiership, Parramatta lost.. well, everything and your old mate Todd Greenberg is the new NRL Chief. But let’s not kid ourselves Jamal, no offense, who cares?

It’s all white noise to Jamal.

And good on him too.

For while we all lived and died by every breaking story, every golden point, every tackle, Jamal was off doing what he wanted to do.

One would be so lucky to trust your heart and live free.

While we outraged and gave opinions, “sack him!”, “drop him!”, sign him!” – Mr. Idris was in his own world.

In 2015, the former Australian and New South Wales B.F.G simply packed his bags, shrugged his shoulders and walked away. No hard feelings, he just wanted to try different things. See you later Penrith. Peace out rugby league. And it’s a little funny he only played one game each for the Kangaroos and the Blues. He tried them out. Didn’t fit. Then the adventure really begun. Forget green and gold jerseys, player managers and third party deals. Idris wanted adventure and the world gave it to him.

In Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City to be precise, a bunch of ballsy kidnappers tried to grab the hulking centre. Some may have crumbled in a foreign land, not Idris. Without thinking (or maybe just thinking clearer than any of us would) he leapt through the window of a taxi and got away. A long way from Auburn, even further from Nigeria. But all this didn’t stop the guy that once wanted to host a kid’s television show while playing for the Titans.

He headed back to Africa and purchased land in Ghana for an orphanage – tick that box.

Play some footy in the bush on your return to Australia? Why not!

Now he’s going to give the NRL another tilt after signing a one-year deal with Wests Tigers which is the perfect contract for both parties.

Perhaps some don’t understand it but footy will never be his first passion.

“For me, it’s so exciting as there are a lot of up-and-coming young players here,” Idris said at the announcement.

“The average age is really young, and they’re only going to get better and more experienced. If they do that together, then they’re going to gel well as a team and that’s really exciting.

“I’ve learned a lot over the last year, and the biggest thing was that I was playing rugby league for others. This time, I’m playing rugby league for myself,” he said.

“There’s no better way to get back into it then to get stuck into training, and I’m improving a lot every week. I’m just hoping to do it now week in and week out.

“I can’t wait to meet all the new fans and Members of Wests Tigers.

“This Club has a great history and supporter base, and I can’t wait to meet and get to know so many more fans.”

The NRL has never been so professional but it’s also never been so robotic and generic in regard to the characters we hear from. We need Jamal more than he needs us.

And if he wants to pack his bags again after his contract expires then so be it.

Let’s enjoy him while we have him because before you know it he may be gone again.

And who can blame him?

He’s on a path to greatness.

Just not the greatness we think.

@woodward_curtis