Zac Laybutt to debut for Cowboys against Paramatta Eels

The tears will be flowing at CommBank Stadium on Friday night when Zac Laybutt runs out for his North Queensland Cowboys’ debut against the Parramatta Eels.

24/05/2023 - Zac Laybutt scores in a 2022 NRL trial match against the Rabbitohs in Cairns. Picture: Brendan Radke

The tears will be flowing at CommBank Stadium on Friday night when Bundaberg’s Zac Laybutt runs out for his North Queensland Cowboys debut against the Parramatta Eels.

Watching from the crowd in Western Sydney will be his mum and dad, brother Blake and his partner, plus 20 or more friends and family.

Elder sibling Kyle, 27, who played twice for the Cowboys in 2017, will also be flying south for the game which kicks off at 8pm Friday, before returning on Saturday to play for the Sunshine Coast Falcons in Kawana against the Dolphins.

He said it was a small sacrifice he was more than willing to make to see his brother achieve his boyhood dream.

“He only gets one debut,” Kyle said.

“You don’t want to miss these things.

“He was there for mine, so it’s the least I could do.”

Kyle, who moved from the Townsville Blackhawks to the Falcons for the start of this season, said he expected to get emotional watching on from the stands.

24/05/2023 - Brothers Kyle and Zac Laybutt were together at the Townsville Blackhawks for a short while. Picture: Townsville Blackhawks

Kegs, cases of beer strewn over Bruce Hwy after horror rollover

“He’s my little brother and he’s achieving a dream,” he said.

The players to watch as the Wide’s Bay’s rising stars of rugby union compete at Qld championships

“I reckon I will shed a few tears along with my parents and probably a lot of the people in the crowd there watching.”

Zac, who has played 17 times for the Blackhawks in the past two seasons, said he was unsure how he would react.

“That’s a tough one,” he admitted.

“I don’t know whether I will be emotional, pumped up or nervous. I think a bit of everything will be flowing through the body, but once I step on the field and touch the ball for the first time or make my first tackle, I will be fine.”

The brothers both attended Bundaberg State High School before Kyle headed north to play for the Cowboys.

Zac headed on his own path, leaving Year 12 early to attend the Melbourne Storm academy on the Sunshine Coast before he too joined the Cowboys.

The 21-year-old, who has been playing in the halves and fullback for the Blackhawks in the Hostplus Cup, said his preferred position was centre, which is where he will line up on Friday night, but he said he was just happy to be fulfilling his dream.

“It’s something you dream of as a kid watching the NRL and seeing the big stadiums,” Zac said.

“It will be a pretty cool experience being at CommBank and it will be very exciting to be out there in the environment and hear the roar of the crowd.”

With Valentine Holmes, Murray Taulagi and Tom Dearden in the Queensland State of Origin squad, Zac Laybutt could be handed more chances by Cowboys coach Todd Payton.

24/05/2023 - Zac Laybutt scores in a 2022 NRL trial match against the Rabbitohs in Cairns. Picture: Brendan Radke

The youngster, whose strength is defence and contesting for high balls, is taking things just one step at a time, however.

“It would be good to get a few more games,” Zac said.

“I just want to focus on the debut first. There’s no real pressure on me to perform for those roles, but hopefully I do get another crack.

“Something I love doing is getting a tackle in and putting my body in front.

“Hopefully, I can do that for the team and I can be a bit of a kick target.”

Kyle, who played alongside Zac in a trial for the Cowboys last year and a handful of matches for the Blackhawks, has offered some advice to his younger brother which Zac has happily taken on board.

“He’s obviously been here and done this and knows what it’s all about,” Zac said.

“It was more about just enjoying the week and about how I’m preparing mentally and physically more than the game because I know what I need to do, what role I play in the team.”

While Kyle, who has made eight appearances for Papua New Guinea, would love to be playing alongside his brother on Friday, he said just being there would be enough to show his support.

“It doesn’t really matter if I am there or not on the field,” he said.

“It’s his dream and it’s pretty special to see it come true.

“I’ve seen how hard he’s worked his whole life for it.

“I knew he had the potential there.

“He took some risks to get where he is now, but he’s got there in the end and we’re super proud of him for it.”

Originally published as Zac Laybutt to debut for Cowboys against Paramatta Eels