Young guns on the Cowboys’ NRL pathway

Far North juniors Cain Hastie and Braithan Ketchell are following the same path as Cowboys-contracted young guns Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Heilum Luki and Jeremiah Nanai as they pursue their dreams of playing in the NRL.

Far North juniors Cain Hastie and Braithan Ketchell are following the same path as Cowboys-contracted young guns Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Heilum Luki and Jeremiah Nanai as they pursue their dreams of playing in the NRL.

The pair are part of the Cowboys Academy, the NRL club’s development program that aims to support the transition of promising youngsters through the playing ranks, from junior league through to the NRL.

Cowboys football programs manager and NRL 220-gamer Glenn Hall said the program had a rich history in the Cairns region.

“Guys like Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Heilum Luki, Jeremiah Nanai — some really good kids have come out of this program and onto the NRL, and the kids that haven’t have either gone on to play for the Pride or strengthen the local league,” he said.

North Queensland Cowboys' Cairns Academy players Cain Hastie and Braithan Ketchell. Picture: Brendan Radke

Hall said Hastie and Ketchell had both made an immediate impression on the academy’s coaching staff.

“They’ve put their best foot forward and are a really good example for all the kids here,” Hall said.

“We want to see guys that compete and we want to see guys that, in their hour and a half sessions, are taking the opportunity to get better, and these two young blokes really did that in the space of two set training sessions.

“Within those two training sessions, they’ve earned themselves the opportunity at the club for the next three years at least, so hopefully they continue to develop and grow and we’ll aim to get these guys to join those three players I just mentioned as being permanent Cowboys.”

MORE NEWS:

‘The energy has shifted’: Taipans home in on fresh fervour

Watch Barrier Reef Big Bash finals live this weekend

Pride half, prop to line-up for the CDRL club in Round 1

Hurricane’s top pick hitting the ball ‘as good as he ever has’

Ketchell said he looked up to the Cowboys’ current crop of Far North products.

“They’re definitely role models,” he said. “It’s good to see them coming from small regional places like Cairns.”

The academy focuses on high-school aged players, with sessions run in Cairns, Townsville and Mackay.

Originally published as Young guns on the Cowboys’ NRL pathway