NRL players walk a tightrope when it comes to on-field aggression.

It’s a necessary part of our game and something that brings the fans to their feet. But it is also something that can quickly spiral out of control.

I pride myself on my competitiveness and the aggressive edge I have to my game. However, I have also learnt the hard way that all players must be able to control their emotions and that aggression.

What happened earlier this year, which resulted in me being sent off, suspended for two matches and Dylan Walker suffering a broken eye socket is a low point in my career – something that I am not proud of. I have publicly apologised and I am determined to not let that happen again.

I have vowed to change my game. No more punches, but I certainly will not be taking the competitiveness and aggression out of my game. That is who I am and why I have made it this far in rugby league.

Coach Craig Bellamy hit the nail on the head. He told me: ‘Don’t turn your biggest strength into your biggest weakness’.

Yes, be aggressive and competitive, but don’t lose my cool and start throwing punches.

Being competitive was the one thing I had going for me when I was a junior rugby league player. I wasn’t the biggest or best player. But I was determined to make it into the NRL. I remember being in a classroom and the teacher telling us not to put all our eggs into one basket.

He referred to rugby league, saying that only two per cent of 16-year-old rugby league players would make it into the NRL.

My only thought was: “Well, why can’t I be in that two per cent.”

So I just worked harder at the game I love. I just kept banging on that door. I didn’t want to spend my life on the end of a shovel, so I just became more and more determined to make it into the NRL.

As a result, when I am on a rugby league field I compete for everything. That is just my nature. So when I come up against someone like Dylan Walker, chances are there will be fireworks.

I don’t know Dylan, but I have heard that off the field he is a good bloke. I know that on the field he is similar to me – he plays with his heart on his sleeve and with lots of aggression.

He likes to niggle. I like to niggle. We both play good, tough footy.

On that night we just clashed. It actually wasn’t anything that he said that ticked me off.

Nothing personal. I just lost my cool. There was a bit of push and shove and in the heat of the moment I thought: ‘OK, if he wants a go, then let’s have a go!’

It was just one of those things … I’m not proud of it. But I can’t take it back. I can’t change what happened, but I have learnt.

As explained earlier. It really is a tightrope walk. The fans love to see one-on-one battles.

Think Will Chambers and Latrell Mitchell in the first two Origin games. People love it when things get personal between players. I know that I did when I was young and watching rugby league on TV.

People like Carl Webb and Michael Crocker were my heroes. They were aggressive and were involved in plenty of one-on-one battles.

I haven’t got a problem with sledging. In fact, I find that if another player starts having a crack at me it brings out the best in me.

It makes me even more determined to win the individual battle with that person.

I am not a big talker. But if someone throws down the challenge I am not just going to cop it and walk away.

It makes me even more competitive … without going overboard. Obviously against Dylan I went too far. In that case I needed to move on to my next job – whatever was needed for the team – and not to get roped into further conflict.

There is nothing to be proud about breaking someone’s eye socket like that. It just should not have happened.

However, that’s also why I am looking forward to my next meeting with Dylan Walker.

I know he will bring out the best in me. I hope people do turn on the TV expecting it to ‘get personal’.

I have no doubt we will get stuck into each other. Each of us trying to finish on top.

That’s good for the game and the fans. Just this time I intend to stay on the ground so I can shake Dylan’s hand after the full time siren.