By Nick Wright
Tom Chester has been hailed as one of rugby league’s toughest competitors – now injury will force him to prove it again.
He has not yet announced a comeback, but his former coach has declared the luckless North Queensland Cowboys sensation too good to be confined to the NRL’s fringes.
Chester was expected to challenge for the void at centre left by Valentine Holmes – a position he filled three times last year before suffering a season-ending ruptured ACL.
Tom Chester tackled for the Cowboys.Credit: Getty
But the numbers Chester produced when his Northern Pride decimated the Western Clydesdales – two tries, five line breaks, a try assist, 20 tackle busts and 422 running metres – highlighted the fact he couldn’t languish in the Queensland Cup.
The trouble is, Chester – off contract at the end of 2025 – is viewed as a long-term fullback, and he’s stuck behind fellow No.1 Scott Drinkwater, who has more try assists than any first-grade player across the past two seasons (51).
But of his 400-metre exploits, Chester’s former Pride mentor, Eric Smith, told this masthead he had “never seen anything at that level”.
“His work rate is tremendous, he has to get physically pushed out of the way by his teammates because he just wants to do so much work and help his teammates out,” said Smith, who now coaches the Redcliffe Dolphins.
“You have to save him from himself; if the ruck forwards want him to have three hit-ups in a set because they’re cooked, he’ll do it.
“I’ve got so much respect with what he puts his body through. He’s too good for Queensland Cup.
“He’s one of the best work-rate footy players I’ve come across. He’s an NRL player. It’s unfortunate that he plays the same position as Drinky.”
While Smith will now watch Chester’s development from afar, his role entails preparing Redcliffe’s squad for the rigours of an NRL call-up, including Dolphins recruit Max Feagai.
Feagai, a 23-year-old former Dragon, will push for a place in head coach Kristian Woolf’s side when he makes his club debut against the Cowboys in their first Pre-Season Challenge clash on Friday.
It will be a daunting task, with Feagai battling fellow outside backs Herbie Farnworth, Jamayne Isaako, Jake Averillo, Jack Bostock and Junior Tupou for a round-one berth against the Rabbitohs.
But he revealed it was Woolf’s adoration for his work coming off his own line – with only 6 per cent of his 102 running metres per game coming from kick returns – that triggered his belief that he could add to his 23 NRL caps.
“There are big plans for the near future. There are outside backs I can learn off, and we have a young group and older heads as well,” Feagai said.
“It is a young club, and you want to come in and be part of something. I looked at it as more of a challenge, and to be a bit more uncomfortable.
“Someone close to me said I probably perform better when I am more uncomfortable. That was a big thing for me … it is part of the challenge, and you just have to take it on.”
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