Cowboys star Coen Hess to become the first Bundaberg junior to play NRL in his hometown

He’s played State of Origin and in an NRL grand final but this North Queensland Cowboys star will make history when he returns to his hometown to take on the Bulldogs.

For all but one North Queensland Cowboy, Sunday’s NRL in central Queensland showcase will be an away game as the team travels more than 1000km to play at Bundaberg’s Salter Oval.

Homegrown talent and Cowboys forward, Coen Hess, will become the first product from Bundaberg to start his footy journey in the sugarcane town and return for an NRL game when they take on the Bulldogs at 2pm.

While NRL careers have eventuated for Bundaberg stars like Mal Meninga, Less Kiss, Kenny Nagas, and Anthony and Felise Kaufusi – it is Hess who will be the first to grace the field years on from his time playing juniors playing for local club, Across The Waves.

The man, who has played six origins for Queensland, will run out after his 18-year-old sibling, Eden Hess, who will play for the Brothers A-Grade team in the curtain raiser to Cowboys game.

Eden playing football in Mount Isa for the Blackstars in under-7s.

Eden dreams of following in his older brother’s footsteps with aspirations of one day playing at the highest level.

“That’s every kids dream when they start playing rugby league,” he said.

But before Hess was rucking the ball up the middle for the Cowboys, he was giving Eden the younger brother treatment when the pair were growing up.

“As a little kid I’d have to run it at him and he’d drop me. He was seven years older than me,” Eden said.

Coen supporting Eden in Townsville at a local Brothers football game in 2017.

It will be a full circle moment for the Hess family when Eden plays, making it three generations of footballers to play for Bundaberg with dad, Warren, and his grandad as well as uncle also representing the town.

Then Hess and his second-placed Cowboys will come up against a red-hot Bulldogs outfit.

Hess’ father, Warren, said he could not be prouder.

“It’s very surreal. It’s just unbelievable,” he said.

“You still think of them (Coen and Eden) as your kids. You don’t associate the hype with it.

“You see them as who they are – humble and reclusive.”

Coen (25), Dana (23) and Eden (17) at Eden’s high school graduation.

Sunday’s NRL showcase will be special not only for the Hess family but for the community of Bundaberg as well.

“The NRL should do more of it. The concept of the country round. I think it’s a great thing,” Warren said.

“It’s the hype. It’s what the people in the bush aspire to. It’s a luxury they don’t get the chance to experience. For people in places like Bundaberg and those other areas, it’s the talk of the town. That’s the energy it generates.”