Four Brisbane juniors signed to multi-year deals with NRL clubs

A Brisbane rugby league club is quickly becoming a breeding ground for NRL talent after four junior products were recently signed to multi-year deals.

Wynnum Manly Seagulls academy manager Glen Dreger. Picture: Richard Walker/AAP

A BRISBANE rugby league club is quickly becoming a breeding ground for NRL talent after four junior products were recently signed to NRL contracts.

The Wynnum Manly Seagulls is arguably in the middle of one of its most successful seasons ever after Jake Simpkin, Connagh Takairangi, Reece Hoffman and Grand Hagi, all from the club’s academy, signed multi-year deals with NRL clubs.

Hoffman, a centre who played for the Queensland under-18 team, and Simpkin have signed a three-year deal with the Wests Tigers, Hagi (winger) has signed a two-year deal with the Newcastle Knights and Takairangi (front row) has signed a two-year deal with the Sydney Roosters.

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Reece Hoffman in action during the Queensland under-18 State of Origin game. Picture: Adam Head

On top of that, second-rower TC Robati is under contract with the Brisbane Broncos as is Jayden Clarkson, who is also receiving interest from around the NRL after being selected in the Australian Schoolboys team to play New Zealand at Redcliffe on September 19.

Wynnum Manly Seagulls academy manager Glen Dreger said the bayside had become a breeding ground for future NRL stars.

“It’s awesome as a club to see the success in the development areas,” he said.

“I have been here for two seasons now and the club saw the younger groups as an area we needed to improve on and we’ve really changed the culture in the programs to make sure we give rugby league players in the area the best opportunity to chase their dream.

Wavell State High School representative forward and newly selected Australian Schoolboys squad member Jayden Clarkson.

“I have been involved in development for over a decade and the programs we have here now are definitely up with the best I’ve ever seen. Wynnum is a small region, so to have these kinds of results is amazing and it’s really an area that can produce a tonne of future NRL stars.”

Seagulls chief executive Hanan Laban said the success of the development programs set the club up for success for years to come.

“We want to see as many as possible go from our juniors to seniors for the Seagulls and hopefully that turns into locals going into the NRL,” he said.