RUGBY LEAGUE: Junior star player to represent Australia

Mackay Brothers player Tom Dearden could be anything in rugby league. The 15-year-old was chosen in the Australian Schoolboys Under-15 team.

Mackay Brothers player Tom Dearden made the Australian Under-15 Schoolboys team. Picture: Chris Lees

RUGBY LEAGUE: Mackay Brothers player Tom Dearden could be anything in rugby league.

The 15-year-old was chosen in the Australian Schoolboys Under-15 team after impressing at last week's Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League Under-15 Championships.

"I was really happy, it's all a bit surreal actually," Tom said.

"I was pretty happy with my carnival and we played well as a team, which was good."

Tom played for Queensland White at the carnival, winning three games and losing in the semi-final to Queensland Maroon.

His Brothers team-mate Raden Burns played in the same team.

The Mackay State High School student has been playing rugby league since he was five, after moving to Mackay from Toowoomba.

"It's just been around my family all the time, my older brother plays it, my uncle and lots of others," he said.

For those 10 years Tom's goal has been to make the Australian team.

"I'm pretty proud of it," he said when asked how he felt.

Next year Tom's goal is to make the U16 Queensland State of Origin team - the same side Norths player and one of Tom's friends Garrett Smith made this year.

In the long-term the ultimate dream is to play National Rugby League.

"It's all about putting in the hard work," he said.

Tom is a North Queensland Cowboys supporter and unsurprisingly as a half-back he looks up to Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Ben Hunt.

As a half-back, Tom said he just tries to direct his team around the park as well as he can.

Tom's dad Steve said having his son selected was a proud moment.

Originally published as RUGBY LEAGUE: Junior star player to represent Australia