Heartbreak and hope for Caleb Williams, the teen touted as a baby Greg Inglis

TOUTED as the next Greg Inglis, Caleb Williams is oblivious to the fact he is one of the most inspirational stories in Australian sport.

Titans young gun Caleb Williams, who has overcome the tragic death of his mother to be an NRL and athletics star in making. Pic by Luke Marsden.

LONG before he was touted the next Greg Inglis, and signed for $12,000 by the Titans, Caleb Williams found perspective.

As he tucks into a chicken schnitzel, so shy he barely makes eye contact, the 15-year-old is oblivious to the fact he is one of the most inspirational stories in Australian sport.

Holes in his school shoes, the Aboriginal sporting phenom is proof money does not buy athletic success. And that the worst of tragedies can spawn the ultimate triumph.

”I don’t remember anything about mum,” says Williams, who shunned interest from several NRL clubs last month to sign with the Titans.

“She died on my birthday.

“So now I don't celebrate my birthday ... it’s pretty hard to feel happy on the day you lost your mum.”

Titans young gun Caleb Williams.

Williams was three when his mum, Petisha, tragically passed away at Byron Bay near his hometown Yamba on the far north-coast of NSW.

He says “people told me what happened”, but he doesn’t ask questions.

Instead, he clutches onto faint memories of his mum, like photographs he keeps to this day.

Quickly, he changes subject.

“Actually, I went and saw my dad for the first time last year,” Williams says.

“He lives in a small place near Broken Hill. I've never been close to him, I didn’t really know him.

“I didn’t know how to feel when I saw him. It felt good to meet my dad, I guess, but it was all a bit weird.

“I didn’t know what to call him to be honest, so I called him ‘Steve’ the whole time I was there.”

Titans young gun Caleb Williams.

You ask how a teenager who grew up without his parents is now the success story he is today.

A happy-go-lucky budding NRL star who has scored 14 tries in four games for the Burleigh under-16s, prompting local judges to rate him the best indigenous talent since Inglis.

A polite student who, a fortnight ago, ran 11.01 sec in the 100m, breaking a 50-year record at his school Palm Beach Currumbin High on the Gold Coast.

For the record, Williams was just “blowing out the cobwebs”.

His personal best over 100m is 10.83 sec ... all this before his 16th birthday.

“I owe a lot to two people, my Nan and my aunty Di, who is mum's sister,” Williams says.

“I grew up in a Christian way. I don’t feel I missed out on anything.

“My aunty is a huge support. She’s done everything for me, if I had to go away for athletics and football, she would cover the payments, she would do fundraisers to pay for stuff.

“My older brother Rob rings me and says, ‘Mum is looking over you’.

“To be honest, I don’t like hearing it because I get emotional.”

Titans young gun Caleb Williams.

Take one look at Williams and every sinew of his frame screams NRL prodigy.

Already he stands 183cm and tips the scales at 84kg.

He has the wiry yet imposing indigenous frame of a young Inglis and, scarily, just like the Maroons maestro, there is room for growth.

Williams’ manager, Kim Ingebrigtsen, spotted the youngster playing for Lower Clarence on NSW far north-coast last year.

He scored four tries, came off for a rest and, with his side facing defeat, returned to score a fifth to seal victory.

Such is Williams’ talent, St George Illawarra scouts turned up to his aunty’s home in a limousine offering an NRL scholarship.

The Titans’ two-year deal enables Williams to stay close to home, but the teenager isn’t getting complacent.

His older brother is evidence of how quickly dreams can crash and burn.

Greg Inglis at South Sydney recovery.

“Rob was a great athlete, but he went downhill with footy when mum died. He turned to the drink,” Williams says.

“Losing mum hurt my brother a lot more because he was older. He remembers it well. Even though it was my mum, I was too young to feel the pain.

“A lot of people say I’m a young Greg Inglis. I don’t know about that, but I appreciate people saying it.

“I love the way Greg runs the ball, he’s just a machine, he’s unstoppable.

“I met him last year at a touch football carnival in Yamba and he stopped to talk to me. Greg is a real role model for me.”

Asked to nominate his State of Origin allegiance, Williams chuckles.

“I’m born in NSW but I go for Queensland, my whole family goes for Queensland,” he said.

“I’ve played most of my league in NSW so (under the eligibility rules), I qualify for the Blues.

“I’d prefer to play for Queensland but if I had to play for NSW, I would.”

Williams’ relative, Dallas Waters, says his rise to the Titans’ junior ranks is testament to his determination.

Titans young gun Caleb Williams.

“There’s no denying Caleb has had a hard road leading to where he is now,” he said.

“We all take things for granted in life. We expect our mum and dad to be around but Caleb has never had that.

“He’s a super athlete. He’s done things in athletics without any formal coaching and potentially he can go a long way in the NRL if he dedicates himself.

“Most of all he has turned into a nice young man. Channelling his talents into sport has given him some purpose and focus in life.”

But Williams isn’t satisfied yet. With his mum’s words driving into his soul, his sporting journey has only just begun.

“I’ve achieved a few things but I don’t skite about myself,” he said.

“It would have been easy for me to go off the rails, but my mother told my brother when he was eight he was good enough to play NRL, but it didn’t happen.

“I’m going to try and do what he couldn’t do. That’s my motivation.

“Every time I’m down, I just think of what mum said ... it gets me going again.”