Is Marsden State High School Australia’s richest breeding ground for rugby league talent?

WITH a list of old boys that includes current NRL and Wallabies stars, a high school south of Brisbane can lay claim to being Australia’s richest breeding ground for footy talent.

Imagine a National Rugby League team featuring Cameron Smith, Wallabies Caleb Timu, Israel Folau and Joe Tomane and a rising player like Jaydn Sua.

All are past students of Marsden State High School, one of Australia’s great sporting nurseries.

So prolific is the talent which pours out of the school that Marsden could field its own NRL side this weekend made up of players with current NRL or Wallaby experience.

Here are 13 names, from front row to fullback, that could line-up and be finals’ contenders in the NRL.

Forwards: George Fai, Cameron Smith, Patrick Mago, Caleb Timu, John Folau, Jaydn Sua.

Backs: Chris Sandow, Brenko Lee, Joe Tomane, Ricky Leutele, Tautau Moga, Antonio Winterstein, Israel Folau.

Israel Folau is a past student of Marsden State High School (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

It is extraordinary for one region to have those players let alone a single state high school.

And that list excludes talent like current Intrust Super Cup players like Jordan Mago, Connor Carey, Jordan Aiono and recent South Sydney signing Corey Allen.

Current Marsden team captain Tesi Niu has also been selected to tour England at the end of the year with the Australian Schoolboys side.

Caleb Timu went to Marsden State High School.

So could this sporting production line become even more celebrated following the launch of the Marsden State High School Centre of Excellence?

The State Government funded centre will be run by Marsden State High School where Andrew Peach is executive principal.

But it will be overseen by former national sprinter and staff member Ian Carapeto who has been appointed as the centre manager.

Jaydn Sua of the Broncos is seen as a future State of Origin player. He is a Marsden past student. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

“Our current coaching staff across the range of excellence programs will use the new centre,’’ Peach said

Sports such as rugby league, basketball, soccer, futsal, netball and volleyball will use the facility.

“As a school we have been running excellence programs for over 10 years,’’ Peach said.

“Our school values of pride, passion and persistence are key to the ongoing work in our Excellence areas.

Marsden State High School rugby league supporters watching a match.

“We value the opportunity for our students to discover their passions (be it in academics, vocational studies, sport or performing arts), and our Excellence programs provide an outstanding avenue for our kids and wider community to enhance their pride in themselves, our school and our wider Logan community.’’

Israel Folau, Chris Sandow and Antonio Winterstein in their Marsden SHS uniforms.

He said Marsden also offered rugby league, football and basketball as “excellence subjects’’.

“These programs have been running for many years, but the new centre will provide a higher level of professionalism to their preparation, training and rehabilitation processes.’’

The centre will be opened on August 18 with the community welcome to attend from 1pm.