‘It’s not too late’: Bulldog Josh Curran’s goal to help troubled teens turn their life around

NRL star Josh Curran isn’t planning on hanging up his footy boots any time soon, but he has grand plans for when he does ... and they might surprise his legion of young fans.

Bulldogs star Josh Curran is about to spend his well-earned three-day break from his NRL requirements somewhere you would never expect — in a detention centre.

The popular league player wants to talk to kids who’ve chosen to break into people’s homes and terrorise them at knifepoint, stolen cars and led police on high-speed pursuits through their towns, to tell them it’s not too late to make something of their lives.

“These kids who are stealing cars, breaking into homes, doing all these serious crimes, maybe they don’t listen to the cops because they don’t trust the uniform sometimes, but as athletes they do listen to us, so if we can team up with police to help then that’s something I’m passionate about,” Curran told The Sunday Telegraph in an exclusive interview.

The 25-year-old is disturbed by the increase in violent crime, particularly in regional areas, and this week reached out to Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood offering to help.

“We have got three days off towards the end of this week so I will meet up with police and visit Dubbo, Wellington, Orange and go to the juvenile detention centre,” the 25-year-old Indigenous Australian said.

Footy star Josh Curran with Deputy Commissioner Paul Pisanos working on a plan of attack to steer kids away from crime. Picture: Gaye Gerard

“I’ve always wanted to do youth work after I stop playing, maybe even join the cops, and while I hope to be playing for the next 10 years at least, there’s a big problem right now so I want to do everything I can.”

Curran said boredom, peer group pressure and social media were the biggest challenges facing young people.

“The worst part for these kids is boredom out in places like Dubbo, there’s nothing for them to do so they get caught up with mates, stealing cars to impress each other.

“I want to give them advice about taking another direction, and show them they can have a career like I have.”

Curran said he understood what was like to have to find the strength to resist peer pressure.

“I grew up in Blacktown, there were lots of gangs around there. You can go either way,” he said.

“I had to make a couple sacrifices with mates, remove myself from certain groups so I can really relate and I just want to try and help the young kids, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal it doesn’t matter.

“We all make mistakes but it’s what you do next with your life after the mistakes, and what opportunities you take that makes the difference.”

Curran says he has as big role to play off the field, helping to tackle youth crime in regional areas. Picture: Jeremy Ng

Deputy Commissioner Paul Pisanos said well-known athletes like Curran were crucial to breaking the youth crime cycle.

“What we’ve seen is a definite scarcity of role models and mentors, particularly young men and women in our First Nations communities in regional areas,” he said.

“Outside of the elders and older people there are not enough young influences to try to change some of the negative pathways, and people like Josh are the type of ambassadors that would appeal to this generation.

“Young people can identify with sports stars that are real people with real life stories to tell.

“That’s why it’s so critical for us to tap into these high-profile people that young people, whether through sports or through the arts, and get them to help us be circuit-breakers.

NSW Police admit they have never seen such high levels of violent crimes being committed by young people in regional areas and need a circuit-breaker. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“They really can make a difference because if these kids don’t take the advice and take the chances we are giving them, then they are going to end up as adults in jail and destined for a life of misery.

“We are doing everything we can and trying to offer every opportunity, but if they continue to commit serious indictable offences they are going to get locked up, that’s the reality, because we need to protect communities that’s the job of the cops.”

Mr Pisanos is passionate about “recruiting young offenders into an alternate life” of helping their communities, even as police officers or social workers.

“There are literally hundreds if not thousands of great, well-paying jobs out in regional NSW there to be grabbed.”

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Originally published as ‘It’s not too late’: Bulldog Josh Curran’s goal to help troubled teens turn their life around