He'll admit he's the luckiest guy in the world to make a well-paid life out of the things he loves - playing rugby league, or talking about it and other sports. His natural talent at both have allowed him to survive nearly a decade and a half in first grade. And even before it's all over, which could be when the next big forward spears his right shoulder, he has an apparently guaranteed career as a sportscaster, this season providing the colour commentary for Channel Nine's league coverage. He also has several newspaper and magazine columns, and appears in television and radio ads. He drives a fire-red Nissan 300ZX, courtesy of the manufacturers.

Those who have known him for years, though, will tell you there is an anomaly in Sterling's life. When it comes to his footy, no one is more full on and fastidious. Away from it, nothing was ever to be treated too seriously. "Irresponsible" and "unreliable" were the words I used in a 1987 article; five years later we have agreed on their choice. Now, as his on-field career is at the crossroads and his off-field career is waiting to blossom, he has matured. A year out of the game, public doubts about his future in football, a blossoming relationship with Olympic hockey player Sharon Buchanan that required him to spend a fortune crossing the continent before she moved to Sydney (where was compass then?), an understanding of the need for commitment away from rugby league - all these factors have added wisdom to Sterling's make-up.

Just a fun-loving guy. (Photo: Getty Images)

The relationship between Peter and Sharon is based largely on mutual respect for each other's devotion to sport. Although Sharon, 28, has been in the national side since she was 16 and is the first Australian woman hockey player to make 150 international appearances, she remains a little-known champion — this despite the Australian hockey side being world champs and winners of Olympic gold. These sportswomen stagger Sterlo with their professionalism.

"The thoroughness of their preparation is amazing," he says. “Before Seoul they went to Darwin to prepare themselves. They played matches against teams wearing the uniforms of their scheduled opponents, had authentic crowd noise over the loudspeakers, and even had the team bus arrive late so they wouldn't panic if it happened in Seoul. Sharon is an incredible competitor and a great athlete. We often train together, but she's much tougher than me. She'll do 30 100-metre sprints without much recovery time; I couldn't do half that."