12:00a.m. 14th January 2009

Ex Rugby League player Danny Nutley has started a business here on the coast with Nationwide Cleaning Supplies at Warana. Photo John McCutcheon/180291

Rugby league star Danny Nutley knows nothing about business, but he reckons his 12-year sporting career has prepared him well for any challenges ahead.

The 34-year-old will officially open a new business, Nationwide Cleaning Supplies, on Main Drive, Warana next Monday.

“The football manager at the Cronulla Sharks asked me if I wanted to run the business as it expanded into Queensland,” he said.

“I was sitting around thinking, 'What the hell am I going to do after footy?'.

“There have been a lot of headaches since, mostly understanding the other side.

“When you play football, you are sheltered away from the real world. You get told what to do, where to do it, what to eat, how to eat, then you come out and you're on your own.

“I did an apprenticeship as a baker before I played footy, so I knew how the other side worked, but I was sheltered for 12 years.”

Luckily, Mr Nutley has his wife Rachael on board as his business partner. She has previously run her own yoga school in Sydney.

“It is a massive step, but I'm really looking forward to it,” he said.

“I've done a few business degrees but really I've just jumped into it.

“I have a few friends high up in business and they've all told me that you have to work hard at something if you want to be successful.”

Mr Nutley has played in the Super League in Europe with the Castleford Tigers, the Redcliffe Dolphins, the South Queensland Crushers, the Warrington Wolves, the Sydney Roosters and the Cronulla Sharks last year.

The former prop forward said his career highlight was pulling on the maroon guernsey for State of Origin 2005.

Nationwide is a contract cleaner supply store and provides cleaning supplies to mostly commercial business clients as well as residential customers.

And does he miss footy?

“Not at all. Especially this time of year, training in the heat. It's no fun.”