Illawarra Steelers SG Ball star halfback Kade Reed ‘confident’ after NRL pre-season with Dragons
Training alongside the NRL Dragons in pre-season, emerging superstar halfback Kade Reed got a glimpse at what he’s working towards. Now back in SG Ball, he’s looking to keep rising to the top.
Local Sport
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There aren’t many more highly touted juniors in the Illawarra region than Kade Reed.
Whether it’s at club or rep level, Reed is a constant name-drop from coaches when it comes to players to watch in their sides, with 2024 no exception as he takes up the halfback responsibility for the Illawarra Steelers in SG Ball.
What’s different about Reed this season, however, is that he’s coming straight off the back of a pre-season with the St George Illawarra Dragons NRL side, a terrific opportunity for the 17-year-old which has seen him come to SG Ball oozing with confidence.
“That was awesome for me, just learning everyday and training with those guys, it’s hard to put into words,” Reed said.
“Just being in there and training with guys like Ben Hunt, I’ve been watching him my whole life, so being there alongside him was awesome.”
Shaun Timmins, head coach of the Steelers SG Ball side, highlights how the exposure to the high level has benefited his star halfback.
“I just think the confidence that he’s brought back to the group, being able to train and handle it with the NRL boys for a few months has really benefited him,” Timmins said.
“He’s a great young player, still only a kid, he can play SG Ball for two years.
“He’s got a good kicking game, a nice running game, but you can tell he’s just come back with a lot of confidence.”
Joining Reed in Dragons camp for the pre-season was a number of the Illawarra’s top rugby league prospects, including Steelers teammates Hayden Buchanan, as well as Reed’s halves partner Lykhan King-Togia, a partnership which showed promising signs in Illawarra’s round one victory.
“That’s the other positive thing, Lykhan has done the full pre-season with NRL too, so they’ve been playing a lot together during the off-season at a high level there with the NRL boys,” Timmins said.
“It’s a good combo, Kade is a genuine no. 7, while Lykhan is a bit bigger, a bit more of a ball-running five-eighth with nice kicking and passing too.”
Reed’s playing resume grew immensely in season 2023, representing NSWCHS U18s in the ASSRL National Championships in June and July.
“That was awesome, a good week up in Redcliffe, we had a pretty good team,” Reed said.
“Hopefully I can do it again this year and make Australian Schoolboys, that’s the goal.”
Later in the year, Reed would make his first-grade debut for his junior club Western Suburbs Devils in the Illawarra Cup, another major milestone for the young gun.
“That was awesome as well. I’ve been around there my whole life, been a Devils player since I was four,” Reed said.
“So obviously it was great to play with them, some of the guys I was playing with I’ve watched since I was a little kid.
“It’s the first time I’ve versed men as well, so that was definitely different, but good experience.”
Reed has had an injury-plagued career with the Steelers so far, missing significant chunks of both the 2022 and 2023 Harold Matthews Cup seasons, first with a hip problem and then with a jaw injury.
He’s back and firing in 2024 though, scoring a crucial try and setting up another in his side’s opening round victory over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
“It’s good firstly to get the win, being a short comp it’s important to get off to a winning start,” Reed said.
“Plenty to improve on though, we definitely need to be better in the first 20, hopefully next week we can just keep up the way we finished the game.”
And while an NRL pre-season has given the young star a taste of what could lie down the line for him, he’s remaining grounded and eyeing up some potential silverware with the Illawarra Steelers.
“I’m just trying to focus on SG Ball, getting a bit bigger and strong is my main goal at the moment,” Reed said.
“We’ve just got to play consistently, and for myself, I’ve just got to play good consistent footy week in week out.
“If we can do that, we can put ourselves in good stead to play finals.
“Hopefully in a few years down the track I can get a crack (at NRL).”
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