He waited 12 seasons and more than 200 NRL games to make his State of Origin debut, becoming the oldest Queensland rookie since the late, great Arthur Beetson in 1980.
Now, after helping the Maroons to a stunning series win, 32-year-old Kurt Mann is on track to belatedly realise another childhood dream by becoming the oldest player to debut for the Kangaroos.
Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo believed Mann was the best utility player in the NRL when he signed him from Newcastle at the end of the 2023 season.
His form since arriving at Belmore has only reaffirmed that opinion, with Ciraldo declaring Mann should “definitely” be a candidate for Australia’s three-Test series against England, which will be the Kangaroos’ first Ashes tour in 22 years.
“I think they take 22 players over, and he’d be one of the first I’d choose,” Ciraldo said.
If Mann plays during the Ashes series, which kicks off at Wembley on October 25, he will become the oldest Kangaroos debutant – breaking a record that dates back 66 years.
Old Mann: Kurt Mann made his Origin debut at the age of 32 and helped Queensland win the series.Credit: Getty Images
The only other player to have celebrated his 32nd birthday before first pulling on the green and gold was legendary hardman Billy Wilson, in 1959. If Mann is selected, he will be more than six months older than Wilson was at the time of his debut.
Before his Queensland call-up this year, Mann wondered if age would count against him when it came to representative football.
“I never really gave up, but I kind of thought it was past me,” he said. “I just didn’t think it would happen, just because of my age now and the way the game’s gone.
“I thought it was all gone and done, but it’s just proof that if you do the work, it’s never too late.”
Mann’s success with the Maroons has him daring to dream about going one step further.
“Mate, I’d definitely love to represent my country,” he said. “It’s an honour to represent your state. It’d be an even bigger honour to represent your country. But that’s a long way away yet. Right now, I’m just going to keep focusing on the Bulldogs.”
With Canterbury sitting pretty in second position on the NRL ladder, Mann sees this season as his best shot at winning a premiership. The closest he has come previously was in 2015, when he was part of the Melbourne side eliminated in the preliminary final by eventual premiers North Queensland.
“I played with some pretty great players down there in Melbourne, but we fell short,” he said. “Since then, opportunities have been pretty hard to come by.
“It’s a tough competition, but yeah, 100 per cent I believe in the program that ‘Ciro’ [Ciraldo] is running and what ‘Gus’ [football director Phil Gould] does from the top as well.
“As long as we do our part, I think we’re a chance, but there’s a lot of things that have got to fall into place first.”
Arguably the game’s most multi-skilled player, Mann has filled every position on the field, from fullback to front row.
He seems to have found his niche at Canterbury as their No.14, usually coming off the bench as a ball-playing middle forward. The Bulldogs recently extended his contract until the end of next year as a reward for his ultra-consistent form and leadership.
“Ciro is probably a big part of that,” he said. “The things he’s taught me and the things he’s doing for even the other boys in the team – Max King and Jacob Kiraz, those boys – they’re all doing pretty good things on the field as well, and their careers are going ahead in leaps and bounds.
“So yeah, I’m very thankful that I’ve crossed paths with Ciro. I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for him.”
The respect between Ciraldo and his senior player is cleary mutual.
“He’s got such utility value, and we saw that,” Ciraldo said. “I really admired the way he played before he came to our club. But what’s been really clear is his leadership value since he got to our club. He totally trusts in what we’re doing.
“He’s been around a long time and understands what it takes to win games. And the experience he’s just got during Origin will be really good for our whole team as well.”
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