Former Kangaroos legend at heart of Saints’ NRL schoolboys push

The opportunity to honour the decades of hard work by former Australian winger Lionel Williamson will be a cornerstone of St Augustine’s College’s elite rugby league program.

THE opportunity to honour the decades of hard work by former Australian winger Lionel Williamson will be a cornerstone of St Augustine’s College’s elite rugby league program.

The Cairns school already boasts a strong program, but the formalisation of a partnership with the North Queensland Cowboys and entry to the Aaron Payne Cup could take it to another level.

At the heart of St Augustine’s College’s goals on the field is to earn a chance at reclaiming a title they haven’t won in three decades: the Confraternity Shield.

Saints haven’t lifted that trophy since Cameron McNab captained the Williamson-coached team to glory in 1993, and opens coach Kris O’Farrell said the school was driven to repeat the feat in the next few years.

Lionel Williamson dedicated decades to the rugby league program at St Augustines College. Picture: Brendan Radke

But, O’Farrell made clear, this was not a program which revolves around rugby league and the development of future Cowboys or NRL stars.

While that is a desired outcome, O’Farrell, the school and the Cowboys are more interested in the person off the field.

“The biggest thing in terms of this program being a success,” O’Farrell said. “We’re not developing the player; we want to develop the man.

“It’s all about respect and manners, and on top of that we’ll give them professionalism to make sure they’re the best person they can be when they exit or graduate in Year 12.

“That’s what the Cowboys want as well; they want good, young men who can possibly go on and be part of their program.”

Officials from the NRL club visited Saints and Trinity Bay State High School last week to formalise the deals, which will provide both schools the full backing of the Cowboys as they make major moves in becoming a home for the development of potential future athletes.

O’Farrell, Trinity Bay SHS program manager Shannon Riles and Cowboys recruitment manager Dane Campbell highlighted how the program’s greatest successes will be geared towards the development of good people.

And on the field, it makes for the further development of one of the great rivalries.

Saints and Trinity Bay are the leading rugby league schools in Cairns, and for the past few years have traded NRL Schoolboys Trophy successes.

Trinity Bay holds the wood over Saints over the past five years, but O’Farrell is keen to see that chance.

“It’s really exciting for the school, but for the town to have two schools affiliated with the Cowboys will be positive for rugby league in Cairns and district areas,” O’Farrell said.

“Having the Cowboys on board for that can only help the Pride and junior ranks.

“As a 13-14-year-old at Saints, hopefully they’re aspiring to wear the cerise and blue, and having the Cowboys emblem on the jersey will only help with that matter.”

Williamson spent more than three decades at Saints, and was heavily involved in the rugby league program, in particular with the Confraternity Shield.

The Innisfail-born winger played more than 100 games for Newtown in the NSWRL, and was named in the Jets’ team of the century.

Williamson represented both Queensland and NSW in interstate clashes, and Australia 11 times.

NRL CLUB BACKS CAIRNS SCHOOLS

FAR North Queensland will soon develop more players who could compete in the NRL after league programs at two Cairns schools were given the tick of approval by the North Queensland Cowboys.

Officials from the NRL club visited Trinity Bay State High School and St Augustine’s College on Friday to formalise the deals, which will provide both schools the full backing of the Cowboys as they make major moves in becoming a home for the development of potential future athletes.

And it won’t be just the talent that gets them there.

Cowboys recruitment manager Dane Campbell, Trinity Bay’s rugby league program manager Shannon Riles and St Augustine’s College coach Kris O’Farrell all highlighted how the program’s greatest successes will be geared towards the development of good people.

“We’ve always got to be thinking what they’ll potentially get to when they eventually get to us and our fulltime program,” Campbell said.

“Knowing their traits and habits from an early age is beneficial, and that’s somewhere we’re reliant upon our partnerships with our MOU schools that we can reach out at any stage and ask questions about their attendance and behaviour.

“We’re looking for good humans as well as good football players.”

Cowboys officials meet staff and students at Trinity Bay State High School. Picture: Supplied

Riles said the Cowboys’ backing added more credibility to the program, which already includes 26 students for 2023.

“It shows to the community that an elite football club believes we’re doing the right thing, they’re happy with our aim and ambition, they’re happy with how we want to develop players, development of humans, football players, and having the Cowboys name behind it gives it so much credibility,” Riles said.

For O’Farrell, the onus is on the development of good men and their schooling, with a number of behavioural and academic standards that must be met to be part of the rugby league program.

Cowboys officials at St Augustines College Cairns. Picture: Supplied

A major issue facing talented junior footballers is the perceived lack of a pathway.

Over the years, talents like Jeremiah Nanai, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Xavier Savage and Jordii Mahendrarajah have left Cairns for Townsville, Brisbane or the Gold Coast to link with elite schools who can provide access to higher levels of training.

But, speaking at Trinity Bay SHS, Cowboys football programs manager Glenn Hall said part of these partnerships’ thrust was to ensure young people would not have to leave the area for access to similar opportunities.

“We’re trying to align ourselves with like-minded schools in our area or our district to strengthen rugby league in those areas,” he said.

“It’s to assist the school with the league program, and show kids in Cairns that they don’t have to search elsewhere for that opportunity, there is a pathway through our academies, our schools, into the Pride and hopefully one day they’re wearing the Cowboys badge on their chest.”

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Originally published as Former Kangaroos legend at heart of Saints’ NRL schoolboys push