Titans tackle respect with Clarence Valley students

GOLD Coast Titans were in the valley this week as part of the NRL Community Carnival delivering a message about respect and belonging.

McAuley Catholic College year nine student Logan Trivett squares up with Gold Coast Titans front rower Jarrod Wallace at a recent NRL Community Carnival event at the school. Picture: Matthew Elkerton

RUGBY LEAGUE: While it is a tumultuous time for new Gold Coast Titans recruit Jarrod Wallace as he assimilates into pre-season at a new club, visiting the Clarence Valley was the perfect remedy to keep the livewire prop grounded.

Wallace, along with Gold Coast Titans team mates David Shillington, Karl Lawton and Ben Nabukuwai, were in the valley this week as part of the 17th annual NRL Community Carnival delivering a message about respect and belonging.

The Titans players visited several schools including McAuley Catholic College, South Grafton Primary and are set to touch down at Yamba Public School today as they teach students the values of interacting in a respectful way with peers.

Wallace, 25, who is a big kid at heart, said he enjoyed the opportunity to get out to regional centres and connect with the local kids.

"It is a good feeling to come and put a smile on the kids' faces and maybe even get them out of class for half an hour," he said.

"It is for a good cause and is a very important part of the game and one that I think should definitely be done more often."

The front rower, who has played 73 games for the Brisbane Broncos before making the switch back to his junior club this season, said he hoped to inspire the next generation to pick up a football.

Wallace said when he was a kid, a similar opportunity to meet the Broncos turned his attention to the field.

"I remember back in the day down at Runaway Bay I got the chance to meet the Broncos, I can even remember then big Wendell Sailor was such an awesome guy to meet," he said. "Just giving back to the kids what I felt back then is an awesome feeling.

"I definitely hope I can inspire kids to play rugby league. Obviously not everyone is going to play league but hopefully they have been able to pick up something from our message of respect and belonging that they can translate to their own lives.

"I think having respect will get you a long way in life, having that feeling that you belong to a group.

"This is the best part of football - you always belong to your footy team and your footy club."

While Wallace is not travelling with the team to the Auckland Nines he is expected to line up in the front row opposite try-scoring machine Ryan James for their first round clash with Sydney Roosters.

Originally published as Titans tackle respect with Clarence Valley students