Stefan Ratchford has been working with the commercial team at Warrington Wolves over the off-season as he explores career opportunities for when he hangs his boots up.
The fullback’s ten years of service to the club will be celebrated this Saturday when Wigan Warriors visit for his testimonial match at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Ratchford, 33, has won two Challenge Cups, a League Leaders’ Shield and played in eight major finals, but has also been trying out a different role with the Wire.
“I’ve done my coaching stuff, I’ve got a couple of properties so I’m umming and aahing about going down that route,” he said, while contemplating what life could hold beyond rugby.
“I’ve been doing some stuff at the club throughout the off-season with the commercial team on the corporate side of it.
“I’ve been going in on days off and during the off-season I was in at the club working in the office, meeting current sponsors and potential new sponsors and stuff like that.
“It’s something I’m quite interested in. I don’t mind talking to people.
“I’ve done a couple of bits, so hopefully I’ve got something I can do when I do finish.”
Not that Ratchford is ready to call it quits just yet, especially with one big itch left to scratch in Super League, having been on the losing side in four Grand Finals in his ten years.
He said: “The Grand Final is definitely one I’d love to capture before I do hang up the boots, but I’m not planning on (retiring) anytime soon so hopefully I’ve got a couple of cracks left at that.”
Its testimonial opponents Wigan, his home town, that have denied him three times out of the four, while Leeds were the victors at Old Trafford at the climax of his first season at the club in 2012.
Despite that, the season remains Ratchford’s personal highlight, having gone from being a newcomer coming in from Salford to winning at Wembley.
“The first year, 2012, to go from where I was to winning a Challenge Cup, I’d certainly put that up there as one of the biggest moments,” he said.
“I wasn’t sure whether I was going to play and how many games I would play, but I was fortunate to be selected from round one.
“The Challenge Cup quarter-final was a big day and then I remember the semi-final being really nervous, then standing in the tunnel at Wembley with ‘Abide With Me’ going. It was a different experience to what I was used to, but one I obviously enjoyed.”
His debut at the beginning of that season is a key highlight as well, when he started at stand-off in a freezing draw at Hull FC.
“We’d been to Australia for three weeks in pre-season and played Souths over there, which was an unbelievable experience,” said Ratchford.
“We came back about a week before the season started; we’d been in Sydney and it’s 30 degrees, and we got back, had Hull FC away and there was about a foot of snow at the side of the pitch that had been shovelled off. It was certainly a different experience.”
Ratchford says that still “feels like five minutes ago” but he will get the opportunity to reflect on the decade over the course of this week, ahead of a game he’s ready for having had the all-clear earlier this month following wrist surgery.
“I’m really grateful for Wigan for agreeing (to play),” said Ratchford.
“It’s always the first fixture I look for. A lot of people I know are from Wigan, are Wigan fans and I’ve grown up in Wigan.
“It’s going to be a big test for us against a quality Wigan side. It’s always a tough game and a tough test, so it’s one the lads are looking forward to.”
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