State of Origin 2025: Presents for mum and Fortnite skins - how NSW stars spent first contract

Some bought Fortnite skins, another a jet ski and one had to give it all back; the NSW Blues reveal the value of their first ever rugby league contract and how they spent the money.

Fatima Kdouh, Brent Read, Harrison Finlay and George Al-Akiki

6 min read

May 23, 2025 - 10:31AM

News Sport Network

'They took it off me': How the Blues spent their first cheque

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Blues star Connor Watson thought he struck gold when he signed his first ever playing contract as a teenager for a Sydney Roosters feeder club on the NSW central coast.

That was until the fierce rivalry between the Bondi club and South Sydney meant that he had to pay the money back.

“It was tough as a kid. When you get a thousand bucks and you’re going to pay it back,” Watson said.

“They must have thought I was trying to sign with Souths or something.”

State of Origin 2025: Presents for mum and Fortnite skins - how NSW stars spent first contract

Then there’s Blues debutant Max King, who is a self confessed ‘tight arse’ but shouted his family dinner when the first ever pay cheque of his under-20s contract cleared.

Penrith premiership winner Brian To’o admits he was ‘trash’ at Fortnite but that didn’t stop the Blues winger from dropping the money from his first contract on the popular video game.

“I might have spent like $2000 on, like on gaming. I had, like, the John Wick skins,” To’o said.

Collectively, Laurie Daley’s side set to take on Queensland on Wednesday night are now worth over $13 million but the stars have revealed their humble beginnings bellow:

How NSW Blues spent their first contracts.

1. DYLAN EDWARDS

“I wasn’t full time. Oh, well, the first contract was a SG Ball contract and that is no money.

“My first full time contract was $45,000. It’s not a lot of money when you break it up over weeks. I just tried to save as much as I could.”

2. BRIAN TO’O

“I can’t remember what it was worth, I don’t think it was a lot … I hope it was a lot.

“I might have spent like $2000 on, like on gaming, on Fortnite.

“That was probably the most of it. I got everything I had, like, the John Wick skin. I pretty much had all the skins, but was just terrible with the game.

“I was that guy who had all the special skins, but I was just trash at the game.”

3. STEPHEN CRICHTON

“It wasn’t until I moved house to come to the Dogs that I held my own credit card.

“The whole time I was at Penrith, my parents held it so I never really got to buy anything for myself. Mum always looked after my savings and looked after my money.

“But my first deal would’ve been Harold Matthews.”

Stephen Crichton was kept on a tight financial leash by his parent while he was playing for Penrith. Picture: AAP Image/Michael Chambers

4. LATRELL MITCHELL

Self-imposed media ban.

5. ZAC LOMAX

“Yeah, I definitely remember the feeling of signing my first every contract but to be honest, I don’t think I remember exactly what I bought.

“I reckon I bought something for my mum with it. She definitely deserves it.”

6. MITCHELL MOSES

“My first contract, I probably signed it when I was maybe 15, 16. The money would’ve gone straight to my mum and dad.

“They would’ve saved it straight away and I didn’t get to spend it on anything.

“So that’s probably the Lebo coming out in mum and dad, but yeah, I didn’t get to spend any of it. Then I got a hold of it probably a few years later and I realised what they were doing.”

7. NATHAN CLEARY

“Well, it’s interesting because I signed a new contract this time of the year that was $20,000.

“But that was when I was doing a NSW Cup pre-season, so I didn’t do a first grade pre-season, in my first (NRL) season.

“But in that contract I had been playing Junior Kangaroos, and I bought a car with that, I think it was a KIA Optima.

“Then the following week, I actually signed my first grade contract, so I probably should have waited. I gave it to my sister. So you know, such a nice brother.”

8. MITCH BARNETT

“It wasn’t much. I had to buy a new car, as I was hopeless with cars when I was younger. I kept crashing cars.

“I bought a second hand Ford Falcon. It’s long gone (now) … it was a great car.”

9. REECE ROBSON

“My under 20s contract would have been the first that I ever got a pay cheque.

“But I remember my first NRL contract was with the Dragons, but even back then I reckon the first thing I bought was a PlayStation 4.

“That was back when Fortnite was big, I didn’t excel at it but I definitely loved playing it.

“I also bought a jet ski with that first NRL contract, I lived in Thirroul and a few of the boys had them so we’d get to go out and use them.”

10. PAYNE HAAS

Late into camp due to injury

Liam Martin in his junior days with the Temora Dragons. Picture: Temora Dragons Facebook

11. LIAM MARTIN

“The first contract was with Penrith. I was 17 years old, I got the chance to do a few trials and I didn’t realise they were actually watching a representative game back home.

“Then they rang me up and asked if I wanted to sign for two years.

“It was pretty special. It was pretty cool.

“It was (worth) bugger-all. I think I was just happy to play footy - I think I got the living away from home allowance and that was about it.”

12. ANGUS CRICHTON

“My first contract was an under-20s contract at Souths. I went there at the end of 2014.

“I think it was about $15,000.

“I remember my first pay cheque I bought a TV and I’ve actually still got the TV in my room.

13. ISAAH YEO

“My first contract would’ve been my 20s contract.

“It would’ve been $5000 so I was getting $400 a month. That’s why I was working as a labourer because it was low.”

Connor Watson playing for the Central Coast Centurions.

14. CONNOR WATSON

“My first contract, I think it was, Central Coast Centurions back when they had it, when they were in the Harold Matthews, not the Central Coast Roosters. And I signed like a scholarship. I’m pretty sure it was $1,000 to play Harold Matthews. And then maybe it went to $2,000 for SG Ball.

“I don’t know if I bought anything, because in the end, I had to pay that money back when I went down to Sydney and tried to play club footy.

“They made me rip up the contract for them to release me to play club footy in Sydney, because I was going to the Souths competition.

“They must have thought I was trying to sign with Souths or something, and they made me pay back the thousand bucks and then they released me.

“It was tough as a kid. When you get a thousand bucks and you’re going to pay it back.”

15. SPENCER LENIU

Self-imposed media ban

16. HUDSON YOUNG

“My first ever contract would have been with the Newcastle Knights in SG Ball, I reckon it was something like $100 a bucks a win or something like that.

“I can’t remember what I bought with the first ever pay check but back then I probably wasted it on new clothes or something like that.”

17. MAX KING

“My first one, it wasn’t until I signed under 20s, so I would have been like 18 at the Titans.

“It’s not like this NBA deal where you get in a couple million.

“I was working at Domino’s at the time, so I don’t know. My old boy is a bit of a frugal spender. I’m a bit of a tight arse

“But actually, we went out for dinner me and my family. It’s under-20s so it would’ve been 10, 15 grand, 20 grand, you know, a year.”

18. CAMPBELL GRAHAM

“I signed with Souths. It would have been Harold Matthews and it would have been for no more than a couple of thousand dollars.

“It was pretty cool. When you are a young kid you are just playing for the love of the game.

“I suppose it doesn’t change either as you get older, but it was a pretty cool feeling to think you could make money from doing what you would have been doing anyway.

“I am a saver - I am a big saver. I would have saved that.”