NSW True Blues Brad Fittler, Andrew Johns, Danny Buderus, Anthony Minichiello and Mark O’Meley will help develop the next generation of Blues players when they conduct specialist positional training sessions at today's (Thursday, 19 January) NSWRL Under-16 and 18 Origin Pathways Program at Narrabeen.
The state’s finest young talent will be put through a series of tests, psychology workshops and on-field positional skills training sessions in a bid to claim another Origin trifecta after all three junior representative sides - Under-16,18 and 20 - celebrated victory last year.
The NSW Pathways Program is designed to help players develop attributes for what it takes on and off the field to be a NSW Blues Origin player.
“It’s fantastic to educate our most talented young players on what it takes to be a NSW representative and contribute to their development to hopefully become professional Rugby League players,” NSWRL Performance Programs Manager Jamie Feeney said.
“The ultimate goal is to have these boys playing for the NSW Blues in the not too distant future. Being surrounded by former Origin greats is an invaluable experience for them.”
In addition, the True Blues will link up with current NRL players Latrell Mitchell, Joel Thompson and Connor Watson this weekend to provide a special Rugby League training and cultural experience for a group of the most promising Indigenous junior players in Northern NSW at the University of New England, Armidale.
The 28-man Indigenous squad, aged 16-18, will come together on Sunday for a two-day camp as part of NSWRL’s Pathways Program, where they will take part in a number of on and off-field tests.
The NSW Indigenous Under-16 side will also take on Western Australian-based side, West Coast Pirates, at Erskineville Oval at 1pm today (Thursday, 19 January)
