DANNY Nutley is playing it cool this season.

The popular Warrington Wolves prop forward is chilled out going into Sunday's huge Silk Cut Challenge Cup fifth round tie with Halifax Blue Sox.

He says: "I've changed. Last year I got a bit uptight going into games so this year I'm trying to take a relaxed approach into every game.

"I was losing nights of sleep towards the end of last season. I was thinking too far ahead, playing the games before I was out there and I think it affected me in a couple of games.

"I still have to think about it because it's my job. Everything in training is my work.

"But away from the game I am trying to relax and not think about it."

Nutley, who joined the Wolves prior to the start of last season from South Queensland Crushers, loves to play golf at the Walton Hall or Mersey Valley clubs and this helps him to relax.

He says: "When I finish footy I'll play golf nearly every day - it's a great sport.

"With golf it is the challenge. It's one-on-one, no-one else out there is going to help you.

"I love watching it. I appreciate how much pressure the top players are under and yet they keep coming up with good shots. Tiger Woods, Greg Norman and the other top players are just unbelievable."

Nutley the golf player is in sharp contrast to Nutley the rugby star.

The rough and tumble world of Super League and the RL Challenge Cup could have been designed with Nutley as the role model though.

The 25-year-old is as tough as they come, he shows no mercy as a defender, grinds out the yards down the middle and he will grit his teeth all day to work his socks off for the team effort. This sums up his first season with the Wolves.

Nutley says: "Not only did I play every game last year, I played every 80 minutes of every game.

"This year there are 30 league games and some weeks there will be three games in a week and a player just can't afford to be playing 80 minutes every week - otherwise you will be too tired to play football the season after.

"There will be rotation of the props this year and it will be good to have a break here and there. But I must admit after getting on top of Featherstone in the previous round of the cup it did seem a little strange to be sat on the sidelines for a while."

Nutley treats every game the same and Halifax's prop forwards should beware that the Australian has no respect for reputations.

Great Britain's Paul Broadbent is now at Halifax after lifting the cup for Sheffield Eagles in 1998 while their skipper and No.10 Kelvin Skerrett has tremendous Silk Cut experience from his days with Wigan.

But Nutley says: "It doesn't bother me who is in the front row for Halifax - two arms, two legs, two eyes. They're human, they're no different, you can get to them.

"They have strengthened and they will be a force again this year. But I thought we went all right at home against Halifax last season. We got to their forwards then and we've just got to do that again.

"If we can get to their half backs like Gavin Clinch and Graham Holroyd we'll stop their direction and they'll go to pieces. But it is up to our forwards to make this happen."

And it is inspirational to players like Nutley that the Wolves now have a host of class players out wide to finish off their 'donkey work'.

Nutley says: "It is great to have the likes of Foz, Huntey, Toa, Jonny Roper out wide, knowing there are players out there who will score the tries for you.

"But the pack has to go forward or else they might as well sit on the sidelines."

And in the pack Nutley has already noticed a difference on the field this term.

He says: "There are now blokes beside you talking to you.

"I defend with Simon Gillies and Danny Farrar either side, and Mark Hilton too. We're all talking to one another and responding to one another. It's a different atmosphere to last year when we were all standing around not talking to each other and having no organisation. It's good."

Nutley turned down approaches from London Broncos to sign up for another season with the Wolves.

But before his pre-season group training could start Nutley returned home to Australia to marry his New Zealand-born fiance Rachael.

Wolves skipper Danny Farrar and ex-Wolves players Mick Pechey and Mike Eagar were among the guests.

Nutley says: "We got married on November 21 and it was a great day. It is true that it is the best day of your life.

"It was an unbelievable feeling - winning 10 Challenge Cups wouldn't match that day."

Danny and Rachael are now living in Stockton Heath.

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