Trio trek to Barlow Park
Northern Pride’s Colts side rekindles NRL dream for trio of travellers
They’ve travelled close to 5000km and some have given up fulltime work for one last crack at the NRL dream. For Terrance Casey, Ethan Schober and Elijah Simpson, a spot in the Northern Pride’s Colts side is the second chance they had all but given up on. Casey, who called Brisbane home last year (after growing up in Normanton), and the Darwin duo Schober and Simpson are all hoping their journey will end in regular minutes with the Pride this season.
THEY’VE travelled close to 5000km and some have given up full-time work in one last crack at the NRL dream.
For Terrence Casey, Ethan Schober and Elijah Simpson, a spot in the Northern Pride’s Colts side is the second chance they had all but given up on.
The sacrifices players have made for a shot at the pathway is a story shared across the under-18 and under-20 squads for 2018.
Casey grew up in Normanton before moving to Brisbane to further his studies and forge a league career.
After failing to crack representative sides and move through the grades, the 20year-old is attempting to make the most of his talent at the club where his cousin Davin Crampton is held in such high esteem.
“At the end of last year I got my own apartment in Brisbane – pretty set up, playing footy,” Casey said.
“I heard there was an opportunity up here. I took it with both hands. “I’ve never looked back. “They’ve supported me the whole way and I’m just grateful to be here.
“I’m not going to let the opportunity go to waste.”
Simpson and Schober have come from Darwin and cracked the under-20 squad.
Schober, 19, was in the Pride’s Mal Meninga Cup side two years ago but was plagued by a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined.
“I had a year off footy but decided to give it another crack,” he said.
“All last year I just worked, back in Darwin, picked up work and saved up a bit of money to come back here.
“Me and Elijah moved here from Darwin chasing our dream and fortunately we’ll be able to do it together.”
Simpson knows what it will take if he’s to reach the NRL.
Once part of the Canberra Raiders development system, a car accident ended his hopes of progressing and he was resigned to life in local league.
“I moved back up to Darwin, played A-grade up there with a local club, made state, got Rising Star up there, but I thought I was going to be playing local footy for the rest of my life,” Simpson said. “It’s like my second chance. “This rarely comes along once, let alone twice, so I’d be stupid not to have another crack at it.”