NRL: Canberra Raiders’ Jarrett Subloo set to make NRL debut
Raiders young gun Jarrett Subloo is poised to take the biggest step of his fledgling rugby league career when he makes his NRL debut against the Sharks on Saturday.
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Raiders young gun Jarrett Subloo is poised to take the biggest step of his fledgling rugby league career when he makes his NRL debut against the Sharks on Saturday.
The 20-year-old Innisfail junior has been named to come off the bench for the Raiders in their last game of the regular season.
Raiders assistant coach Andrew McFadden said Subloo earned his shot at the top level with his versatility.
“Jarrett was in our 20s system last year playing five-eighth and he showed a fair bit of promise,” he said.
“He’s trained at fullback, played on the wing, played in the centres, and he’s obviously got experience in the halves.
“He’s got some real versatility about him and that’s why he gets his shot on Saturday.”
He said Subloo was another example of the Far North’s ability to produce talented rugby league players.
“I used to play with Billy (Slater) and I was just doing my research on Innisfail and saw that Lionel Williamson is from up there,” he said.
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“There’s obviously a really strong rugby league culture and it’s great to see that Jarrett’s adding to that.
“He’s a good kid, he’s a polite kid and he’s one of those players that’s easy to coach.
“There’s no fuss about him — you give him instructions and he just goes and does it.”
A junior sensation, Subloo was signed by the Brisbane Broncos on a junior development contract in Year 10, before joining the Raiders’ SG Ball Cup side in 2018.
After playing Jersey Flegg in 2019, he was added to the Raiders’ NRL squad as a development player last November.
He said he was excited to be making his NRL debut this weekend.
“I couldn’t believe it when Stick announced it in the team meeting,” Subloo told raiders.com.au. “I kind of got all hot and sweaty and I didn’t know what to say.
“I called mum and dad before and I had to tell mum three times because she couldn’t hear me and she started crying.
“I think she threw the phone or something and then dad was on the phone.
“They were pretty stoked so it means a lot to me and my family as well.”
Subloo’s debut comes as 29 top NRL players were left out of final-round squads, with top eight teams opting to give their stars a rest before finals.
The Raiders have sat out nine players despite being in top-four contention.
Originally published as NRL: Canberra Raiders’ Jarrett Subloo set to make NRL debut