Ugo Monye is targeting the perfect celebration to mark his 10 years as a Harlequins player. With the Quins sitting top of the table and recovering to some reasonable level of form they have never been in with a better chance of winning the league. And Monye is targeting just that for his club.
Harlequins sit six points clear of second place Saracens and seem to have already guaranteed a home semi final for the play offs. They are currently favourites to lift the Premiership trophy come May and having led the table from the very first week they would be deserved Champions should they do so.
Monye has been at the Stoop for 10 years and has only ever played for the Quins. “I’ve been at the club 10 years and I’ve only won two medals. I don’t think that’s good enough for a club like Harlequins”. Monye clearly believes his side deserve to have more success than they have in recent years and following their elimination from the Amlin Challenge Cup last weekend, their only chance of a trophy in 2012 is the big one, the league.
In his 10 years at the club money has been through a lot. 2005 saw him experience relegation with the Quins, surely an all time career low. 2009 saw the bloodgate saga rock Quins with the club being disgraced and a number of staff being banned from the game. 2009 also saw Monye, who had become an England regular, tour south Africa with the Lions.
For Monye and indeed for Harlequins lifting the Premiership trophy in May would cap an impressive recovery from the relegation season of 2005. So many clubs struggle to return to the top flight and disappear after relegation. But unlike West Hartlepool, Liverpool St Helens, Orrell, Bristol and others the Quins have recovered and this season could mark the ultimate recovery.