Kurt Mann reunites with schoolmate Ben Hunt in the halves for St George Illawarra
SATURDAY’S sudden-death final is a culmination of a 12-year rugby league journey for Kurt Mann that will peak as it began, with the makeshift five-eighth standing with Ben Hunt.
IT’S a story that should give hope to any kids out there struggling to crack an opportunity in life.
Because after 12 years on a long and winding journey chasing his footballing dream, a world of coincidences will come together for Kurt Mann when he runs out to partner Ben Hunt in the St George Illawarra halves for this blockbuster semi-final against South Sydney.
Mann’s call-up to replace injured skipper Gareth Widdop comes six years after Mann was originally signed by Melbourne to take over from the then departing five-eighth.
And now Mann gets to team up with Hunt, who was three years above him at the same boarding school.
“When you put it that way, it really is a small world,” said Dragons coach Paul McGregor.
“Ben and Kurt come from little towns in Queensland and they went to the same school.
“And here they are teaming up together in an NRL semi-final.
“But for Kurt to be also replacing Gareth, that makes it pretty incredible.
“I didn’t know that part of the story.”
But for Mann’s family back in Winton in the central west of Queensland, it will be a proud moment for a kid who has never stopped backing his ability.
Kurt’s older brother Joel still vividly remembers the day Kurt left for boarding school.
“That is when he started his journey to NRL,” Joel explained.
“He was 13. I still remember mum (Jane) packing all his bags and driving him down.”
It’s about a 900km drive from Winton to Yeppoon, where Mann and Hunt attended St Brendan’s College.
While St Brendan’s has produced its fair share of NRL players, including the man in charge of South Sydney, Anthony Seibold, this will be the first time the school has had a set of halves playing in the same team.
“Ben was a great footy player,” long-time St Brendan’s coach Terry Hansen said. “He had all the skill in the world.
“You know old Cyril Connell (the late and legendary Brisbane talent scout) signed him when he was 12 from Dingo (a town of about 300 people)?
“But he was always a pretty special kid.”
And Mann?
“There wasn’t much to him (size-wise) but he was just courageous,” Hansen continued.
“When he was 16 we were playing the Shield final in Bundaberg and he got a decent smack in the nose.
“It was all over his face and blood was squirting everywhere.
“And my trainer got the cross up saying, ‘He’s done’.
“But Kurt pushed him away, saying, ‘I ain’t going off’.
“So I sung out, ‘Leave him, he’ll be right’.
“So we filled his nose with chilly-powder to stop the bleeding and he played on.
“There was no doubting his courage.”
Or his commitment.
After leaving school, Mann made his way to Newcastle where he was starring for the Knights under 20s when Craig Bellamy offered him an opportunity to potentially replace Widdop.
“They flew him down for the weekend and Bellamy took him through the club,” Joel recalled.
“I think he sat down and had lunch with a few of them. (Billy) Slater and (Cameron) Smith were there I think.
“But then they ended up getting Blake Green so Kurt just played where he could.”
It was the same when Mann followed Widdop to the Dragons.
He’s played pretty much every position except prop since.
But then last Saturday when Widdop’s shoulder gave in, McGregor called on Mann to stand up in this moment it seems his whole life has been directed towards.
“The thing about Kurt is he is not the biggest,” McGregor said.
“And he is not the strongest or the quickest, but he is just a natural footballer.
“And that is the best way to describe him. He is uncompromising. He is hard-working.
“He is one of them guys that wherever you put him you have got more faith than fear.”
Joel said with most locals in Winton involved in agriculture, it’s been another tough year.
And it hasn’t been made any easier by the fact their local footy team also folded because of lack of numbers after winning last year’s comp, and seven of the previous eight premierships.
But as Joel explained, seeing Kurt make the most of his life should give hope to everyone.
“A lot of families have left town because there is not a lot of opportunities for kids anymore,” Joel said.
“But Kurt has made the most of his.
“We are proud of him, definitely.”
Originally published as Kurt Mann reunites with schoolmate Ben Hunt in the halves for St George Illawarra