With the Country – City Origin representative match coming up on Friday, May 6 in Albury and having held the annual fixture in both Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie in recent years, I thought it was important to highlight those players from the Groups 2 and 3 Rugby League competitions who are currently representing the NSW Mid-North Coast at the
highest level.
There have been hundreds of players from this region who have made the trek to Sydney to play in the big league during the history of the game and no doubt there will be hundreds more but I’ve selected a squad made up of NRL, English Super League and NYC (Under 20s) players who are doing the hard yards in 2011.
There’s a great mix of experienced campaigners and young up and coming kids making their mark.
Clint Greenshields had a short but impressive career with the Dragons before the lure of the overseas dollar took him to France.
Kevin Gordon has unfortunately been ruled out for the season with injury but has made a lot of people stand up and take notice of his speed and skill on the wing. Greg Inglis has represented QLD and Australia and won premierships with the Storm … enough said. Jamal Idris is heading to the Titans next year to cash in on his fame both on and off the field. Beau Champion was born in Kempsey but played his first junior football in Sydney and therefore represented City last year and has a great try-scoring
strike rate.
Albert Kelly has bulked up this season and is playing with plenty of confidence in the top grade. Jarrod Mullen is pushing to reclaim his NSW Origin jersey.
Ben Harris began at the Dogs, went overseas and is now working to re-establish himself in North Queensland. Shaun Fensom is a tackling machine and is also in line for a Country Rep jumper.
Aidan Tolman has impressed since moving from the Storm which could see him playing for his state this year.
Jeremy Latimore always gives 100 per cent and the Warriors couldn’t be happier with his work ethic. Danny Buderus has done it all and probably left the NRL for England a couple of years earlier than he should have.
Nambucca’s Alex Hull is a kid with huge potential and a couple of years in the NYC will prepare him well for first grade. On the bench Scott Dureau and Shane Elford are proven first graders while Macleay trio Webster, Roberts and Vale are try scoring freaks. Interesting to note that Inglis, Champion, Webster and Roberts are all related.
1) Clint Greenshields — Les Catalans (Coffs)
2) Kevin Gordon – Titans (Sawtell)
3) Greg Inglis – Rabbitohs (Bowraville)
4) Jamal Idris – Bulldogs (Forster/Tuncurry)
5) Beau Champion – Storm (Kempsey)
6) Albert Kelly – Sharks (Kempsey)
7) Jarrod Mullen — Knights (Taree)
13) Ben Harris – Cowboys (Taree/Old Bar)
12) Shaun Fensom – Raiders (Bellingen)
11) Aiden Tolman – Bulldogs (Smithtown)
10) Jeremy Latimore – Warriors (Port Macq)
9) Danny Buderus — Leeds (Taree)
8) Alex Hull — Rabbitohs NYC (Nambucca)
14) Scott Dureau — Les Catalans (Taree)
15) Malcolm Webster — Rabbitohs/Bears (Kempsey)
16) Shane Elford — Panthers (Port Macq)
17) James Roberts — Rabbitohs NYC (Kempsey)
18) Kieran Vale — Rabbitohs NYC (Kempsey)
