Word has it that Isaac Woodbury has a way with the elderly ladies he helps get back on their feet as an occupational therapist at Tamara Hospital's patient-rehabilitation ward.
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The 25-year-old feels fortunate to have found such a rewarding work environment in his first post-university job.
He also feels fortunate that his work life is augmented by a fulfilling sports life, which will resume when he lines up at outside centre for Tamworth against the Blues on the Magpies' Old Boys Day at Rugby Park on Saturday.
"I've been really lucky to fall on my feet with both work and footy - lining up to be in two great teams," Cessnock-raised Woodbury said. "So I think it will keep me here [Tamworth] for a bit longer."
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Woodbury moved to Tamworth in 2016 when he got the job at Tamara Hospital, having done a placement at the brain-injury unit at Tamworth Hospital while in his fourth year at the University of Newcastle.
He linked with the Magpies the following year after friends pestered him to do so. He grew up playing rugby league for the Cessnock Goannas.
"It's [rugby union] definitely a different game," he said. "I'm still giving away a few penalties trying to learn the rules.
"But yeah, I'm really enjoying it," he added. "It helps with the great team we've got as well.
"There's a good vibe off the field and everyone really gets along. I think that's been one of the biggest things in terms of keeping me in rugby."
This weekend's matches are the penultimate round before the finals, with second-placed Tamworth coming off a last-start 37-31 defeat of first-placed Robb College at Bellevue Oval.
Woodbury was part of a recent backline reshuffle that saw him move from the wing to outside side, swapping positions with Blake Clout, with promising teen Harry Snook shifting from wing to fullback.
Woodbury played centre and fullback in league, and enjoys having more room to move in the centres for Tamworth.
"We're really pleased with how it's [the reshuffle] turned out," he said, adding: "Clouty's been unstoppable on that wing."
Tamworth scored a late try to beat the fourth-placed Blues 27-21 at Rugby Park in round three, before the Blues beat them 25-15 in Armidale - in what was the Magpies' first loss of the season.
"They're a massive team and they're very physical," Woodbury said. "That's been the backbone of our way to win games: we've just come out and we've been really physical, and they can match us on that.
"So it's a matter of us being disciplined, No.1, and keeping that physicality going for the 80 minutes to beat them."
