Rugby League Coaching Manuals

By Liam Butterworth, Gladstone Observer - Five young Gladstone rugby league players are making a dedicated effort towards achieving their goals of playing professional footy, travelling to Rockhampton three times a week for training.

Fifteen-year-olds Darcy Taylor, Jamie White, Mitchell Hallinan, Jeremy Osbourne and Cain Beazley, and assistant coach Robbie Brown, travel each Tuesday and Friday for training with 27-man U16 Comets Development Squad.

The young footballers started training locally in November with Brown but have been making the trip north since Christmas.

Add in three gym sessions a week and further training on Saturday mornings and the boys are kept extremely busy.

It is a big commitment and in order to make travel easier, the boys' families hire a van to take them up to training. And while the van hire on Friday night is covered by the Comets, the boys must cover their own expenses on Tuesday nights.

The squad will be trimmed down to 17 players next week and the boys had the chance to show their wares last weekend in their 34-6 demolition of the Wide Bay development team.

If successful in earning selection the boys will contest the northern division of the Cyril Connel Cup involving teams from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Northern Territory and Wide Bay.

Asked why they were so dedicated to training, the boys replied they “love it”.

They also said that the training had positive effects for their games, noticing the improvement.

But the big commitment is not all positive, having effects on their school, working and social lives.

Brown said they often didn't get home until 10.30 on Tuesday nights.

The boys' families are looking for any businesses interested in sponsoring the boys. For enquiries contact Sandy Beazley on 0412 241 344.