PROUD Shane Monahan is hoping to exploit his unique selling point and mature into his role as Gloucester's power-monger wing.
The Leinster Academy graduate is delighted to have earned a new two-year Kingsholm contract.
The County Mead-raised strike runner had options to sign elsewhere, but he was intent on securing his Gloucester future.
The 25-year-old arrived on a one-year deal from Rotherham in the summer, keen to prove his Premiership potency.
And he has consistently shown his destructive line-breaking abilities offer the perfect foil for the speed of Charlie Sharples and Jonny May, and the all-round trickery of James Simpson-Daniel.
Monahan is delighted with his new deal but has pledged not to let up in his bid to carve a long-term Kingsholm niche.
He explained: "I took the one-year offer with both hands when I signed for the club, just to have that chance to get my foot in the door.
"And when I got the rugby as well, to be able to play and perform at this level has been fantastic.
"But I've got to keep it going.
"It's not as though you get your contract and sit back – totally the opposite.
"I've got to keep building on that, keep performing and improving.
"I'm still learning all the time, every game and training session I'm learning new things.
"I've picked things up from the younger lads, and then the likes of James Simpson-Daniel and Mike Tindall have been fantastic.
"So hopefully I can develop and mature as a player over the next two years.
"The calibre of player at Gloucester, especially on the wings, is huge.
"We've got some of the most exciting wide players around.
"But I was willing to back myself because my unique selling point from a marketing point of view is that I'm a different type of player.
"So I can give the coach a different selection option, Nigel sees that and that's how I've got a lot of rugby really.
"It can be a tense time when you don't what's happening or where you're going to be.
"So to get it sorted, I was absolutely delighted.
"I'm very happy here, I love the style of rugby that Gloucester play, and I'm really looking forward to the future.
"To get a two-year deal at Gloucester is a massive thing for any rugby player and it's a great honour for me.
"To know I'll be here for the next two years, I'm very proud and excited for the future.
"The squad is only just starting to grow though.
"Things can only get better.
"This is our first year together, and we're pushing for a top-four spot.
"So to be part of that for the next two years is very exciting."
After 17 appearances by the first week of February, two months without action had taken a frustrating toll.
But then Monahan bulldozed in for a fine try against Biarritz last week.
Claiming one of two consolation scores at the death of Gloucester's 41-31 Amlin Challenge Cup defeat has helped Monahan seal a starting spot for tonight's Premiership trip to Sale.
Gloucester must steal victory at the Salford City Stadium (kick-off 7.45pm) to keep their play-off ambitions alive.
The former Rotherham wing reckons consistency and focus will be crucial in the North West.
He continued: "Getting so much rugby at the start of the season was fantastic, and it's tough then at times to go through a period where you're on the sidelines.
"But again it's an excellent squad environment and when you're not involved on the pitch you've still got to keep fighting all the time.
"So that when you get your chance to play, hopefully you can make an impact.
"We were very disappointed with the Biarritz result and how we played.
"We could have progressed further in the tournament, so we certainly let ourselves down last week.
"I was definitely a little frustrated, it had been about two months since I had had any game time, so I was absolutely delighted to get on the field and get my hands on the ball.
"And to get a try in the process was great.
"Luckily I took my opportunity last week, and to be starting this week is fantastic.
"Hopefully I can offer something different there on the wing tonight.
"When you get your opportunity you have to take it, so I'm really looking forward to this.
"We showed what we can do, with those two tries in as many minutes at the death against Biarritz.
"And it's the consistency that we really need now.
"We've had a habit of turning off at points in matches, and that's costly.
"So we cannot afford anything other than total concentration now."
SALE SHARKS: C Shepherd, W Addison, J Leota, S Tuitupou, M Cueto, N Macleod, D Peel, A Dickinson, M Jones, H Thomas, K Myall, A Ostrikov, D Braid, D Seymour (capt), J Gaskell. Replacements: T Taylor, R Harrison, T Buckley, T Holmes, R Vernon, N Fowles, D Cipriani, T Brady.
GLOUCESTER: R Cook, J May, M Tindall (capt), B Twelvetrees, S Monahan, F Burns, D Robson, N Wood, H Edmonds, D Chistolini, L Lokotui, W James, T Savage, A Qera, S Kalamafoni. Replacements: K Britton, D Murphy, Y Thomas, B Morgan, A Hazell, D Lewis, H Trinder, C Sharples.
