Former NSW and Australia prop Jason Stevens’ film Chasing Comets to debut on Gold Coast
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GOLD Coast Titans players will get an early look at the long-awaited film written by former NSW and Australia front-rower Jason Stevens.
The Titans squad will be treated to a preview screening of Chasing Comets on Monday night at Robina before its public release on Thursday.
Stevens’ NRL/AFL sports comedy drama is more than a decade in the making, having turned to screenwriting after hanging up the boots.
“I retired in 2005. I had a contract with The Footy Show which kind of abruptly ended so I sort of was searching for something else,” the 45-year-old explained.
“I loved storytelling so I started screenwriting then, not realising that it was going to take a nice little 12 years to get the film up, which is still quick believe it or not. You have got to be in it for the long haul.”
Isabel Lucas, Dan Ewing, Rhys Muldoon, John Batchelor, Havana Brown and Beau Ryan headline the cast for Chasing Comets.
“It’s set in Wagga which has produced a lot of sporting greats of both codes: Steve Mortimer, Peter Sterling, Wayne Carey and Eric Weissel,” Stevens said.
“We thought it would be a beautiful place to film and have fun with that theme about which is the greater code.
“So we have got Rhys Muldoon from House Husbands, he coaches Stan Walker who is an AFL-playing Kiwi, so we have a bit of fun with that, but the driving force of the film is the rugby league player Chase Daylight played by Dan Ewing.
“He has got a dream to play in the NRL but he is sabotaging it and he is sabotaging his relationships too, he is making all these dumb decisions and it’s through that we find a lot of the comedy.
“We wanted to make a real upbeat comedy but then have a nice little theme in there which talks about the value of trying to get it right in other areas of your life and the struggle to do that.
“I think Beau Ryan plays a really great antagonist in the film, he is just very cheeky and funny and some of the stuff he ad-libbed we used, it was so good.”
Stevens added the film is part inspired by experiences and people from his own NRL career.
“I was able to draw on some of the players that I knew, some of the coaches, reporters, I have really intertwined all of them in these stories,” he said.
KELLY’S HEROES
LES Kelly labelled his first trainers premiership at the Gold Coast the highlight of his career and he made sure he included his whole team in the celebrations.
Kelly booked five tables for his staff, owners and supporters at the Gold Coast Turf Club’s industry awards on Wednesday.
PILLEY’S BIG BREAK
WE’RE hearing Burleigh Bears premiership winner Amber Pilley is destined for a well-deserved reward for her 2018 form.
Pilley is set to join the Brisbane Broncos for the inaugural NRL Women’s Premiership next month.
It’s a welcome break for the talented centre, whose Origin chances had been curtailed by a concussion.
ROBBO HAS GRAND PLANS
GOLD Coast cricket legend Andrew Robinson is a man with his priorities in order after telling Ball and All he would not be going back on his decision to retire.
“For this year at least I am not committing full-time to any club. I’ll spend some time away and go camping,” said Robinson, who spent two seasons at Coomera Hope Island after piling on more than 10,000 first grade runs for the Gold Coast Dolphins.
“I am going to the beach and drinking beers.”
ROBINA RIGHT BEHIND STARS
ROBINA State High School is getting behind its students competing at international tournaments.
With Jaime Fox and Ian Lee playing at the Under-15 World Cup in Panama this week, and Oscar Hyde, Mitchell Anderson and Zach Smith part of the Gold Coast Cougars side at the Little League World Series in the US until August 26, the school this week broadcast games on a giant projector for their schoolmates to watch.
BAREBACK FIX FOR CHAMP
TRAINER Wayne Hawkes told the Gold Coast Turf Club industry awards this week he believes his champion sprinter Chautauqua is having a “lend” of him by staying in the barriers at trials. “He knows what’s going on so he either doesn’t want to go out there ... or he is deadset having a lend of us. I’ve heard it all about how to fix him. One bloke in north Queensland wants to ride him bareback up a hill and down the other side to fix him.”
SHELLEY READY TO RUMBLE
HOMEGROWN Gold Coast Commonwealth Games marathon champion Michael Shelley will tomorrow return to competitive running for the first time since his gold medal run.
The 34-year-old will contest a 10km event on the Sunshine Coast, with his next 42.195km race likely to be in 2019.
MOIMOI TO CITY
BOND University have been put in an unusual situation with this year’s National Rugby Championship.
The Robina campus have a partnership with premiers Queensland Country but will soon have one of their players Zach Moimoi lining up for NRC rivals Brisbane City.
It’s a sight met with a mix of reluctance and understanding, with Bond recognising roster make-ups mean Moimoi will get more opportunities in City colours.
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