Northern Pride, Trinity Bay, join forces for new league program
A partnership with the Pride will ensure Trinity Bay SHS can hit the ground running as the school launches its new rugby league excellence program.
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A partnership with the Northern Pride will ensure Trinity Bay State High School can hit the ground running as the Manunda school prepares to launch its new Rugby League School of Excellence program.
The inaugural 26-member class has been selected, with the Aumuller St high school to officially launch the program on Thursday.
And with some of the best juniors in the Far North already among the school’s cohort, including the likes of Vai Nanai, Taakoi Benioni and Shannon Bowen, Trinity Bay SHS is keen to make an impact from the start.
Program manager Shannon Riles said it was an exciting time for the NRL Schoolboy Trophy championship-winning school, as they prepare to enter elite schoolboys rugby league competition, the Aaron Payne Cup, for the first time.
The program is designed to keep the best FNQ junior footballers in the region rather than have them link with long-term nurseries in Townsville, like Kirwan and Ignatius Park, and south east Queensland, like Ipswich and Palm Beach Currumbin.
The move would not only ensure the region’s junior ranks remained strong, but could flow on to better results for those involved with the Pride.
And that is partly behind why the school and state league club have joined forces.
The Pride will support Trinity Bay SHS in coaching, through strength and conditioning, as the parties seek to strengthen the pathway from FNQ to top flight rugby league.
“It’s making sure we provide a genuine pathway so staying in Cairns is a genuine option,” said Northern Pride CEO Garreth Smith.
It will also mean greater consistency between the school and club, which could lead to greater success down the line for both parties.
“We’ll still put our T-Bay twist on it, but we’ll see a lot of similar plays to what they use with the Pride,” Riles said.
“Our best players will be in the Pride programs next year, so this will be more exposure to that training for them.
“They will be similar, and that’s good for the players.”
North Queensland Cowboys have also offered their support, as Trinity Bay SHS seeks to become a home of elite junior rugby league in Cairns into the future.
The 26 members - 20 boys and six girls - of the inaugural squad have been locked in though program manager Shannon Riles said there were still some spaces to be filled.
The program is currently open to students in Years 7, 11 and 12, though Riles said talented footballers in other grades were already being spoken to as the school plans to expand the excellence in coming years.
matthew.mcinerney1@news.com.au
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Originally published as Northern Pride, Trinity Bay, join forces for new league program
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