GEORGE Rose will reach a career milestone tonight when he laces up his boots and steps out for his 150th NRL match, the former Bathurst resident part of the St George Illawarra Dragons side which will host the Wests Tigers.

The former Bathurst Penguin was back where his passion football began – Kelso Public School – on Thursday as he took time out before the milestone match.

It was a chance for Rose to reflect on a successful NRL career to date.

In his 11 years of NRL, Rose has picked up a premiership with the Manly Sea Eagles and this year was named man of the match in the annual All Stars fixture.

Rose said just breaking through for his debut was an amazing feeling. He never imagined that he would go on to play at least 149 more matches at the top level of rugby league in Australia.

“To just play one is an exciting achievement. The last few years I knew that 150 was getting close, but it always just seemed out of reach. To just scrape in now with the last game of the regular season is good. I’m stoked,” he said.

“It’s been a bit of a tough, injury-prone year and a bit unsettling, but I’m still absolutely loving my footy. Even if I’m not playing at the top level, I’ll still be running around on a footy field somewhere until I’m 40. Actually, I might be getting ahead of myself there. We’ll see how we go.”

Rose said every high and low so far has been shared by his tight-knit family.

“The grand final win is something you work 11 months of the year for. It was a huge achievement for me,” he said.

“Probably about 140 of those games I’ve had my mum in the crowd for each one of them. That’s something that means a lot to me. Whatever I achieve on the field is something they [family] achieve too. We’re both getting 150 together on the field.” 

It would take a big Manly victory tomorrow as well as a heavy defeat for his Dragons for Rose to miss out on another NRL finals campaign.

While it is an unlikely situation, Rose is still determined to return a big personal performance against the Tigers.

“It’s not just a matter of winning to hold that position in the top eight, it’s also to have some form going into week one of the finals,” he said.

“Once it starts it’s do or die and you’ve got to be bringing your best game every week.”

Rose is off-contract for next year and he remains tight-lipped when 2016 is the topic.

“It’s something that’s still up in the air for me at the moment,” he said.

“I’ll see how I pull up from this season and if the desire to go through another pre-season and put the body through a bit of torture is still there.”

Whether it be some time close or still some years off, Rose said he would love the chance to come back to Group 10 and play alongside his brothers.

“It’s something that’s always on the cards. My two brother Matt and Trent play back here, so when I do choose to go back to bush footy I’ll be looking at where they’re playing and having a run with them somewhere,” Rose said. “It will be nice to see if Matt’s still got it in his legs by the time I decide that.”