BRISBANE NAMES TEEN AT HALFBACK
RUGBY LEAGUE: The Brisbane Broncos are backing teenage playmaker Tom Dearden to hit the ground running, naming the schoolboy sensation to start at halfback in their first NRL pre-season trial.
After making waves at schoolboy level last year for Palm Beach Currumbin on the Gold Coast, the 17-year-old has been given a chance to continue that form this weekend in Warwick.
The Mackay product is one of three young playmakers under lock and key at Red Hill who will see minutes in the clash against Queensland Cup outfit SouthsLogan.
Fellow emerging halves Cory Paix and Tanah Boyd have been named on the bench in a young side that includes just five players with NRL experience.
Dearden’s authority at training has impressed his teammates.
“He’s shown us how good he is ... and he’s definitely confident,” hooker Jake Turpin said.
“That’s one of the things that stands out to us. He’s not afraid to get in front of some of the senior players and call it.”
Returning forward Patrick Mago said the teen would learn plenty from training with incumbent halfback Kodi Nikorima.
“We all rate him and he’s only going to grow,” Mago said.
Meanwhile, the “freakish” athleticism of Payne Haas is inspiring his Brisbane teammates as the teenage prop prepares to play for the Broncos again.
The 19-year-old will play in the Warwick trial, having made an impressive offseason comeback from shoulder surgery.
Haas debuted at 18 last year and played just 36 action-packed minutes of NRL across three games off the bench before a shoulder dislocation eventually ruled him out for the season.
He has since signed a six-year extension worth a reported $3 million and is in such good shape that he’s inspiring his older teammates.
“I’ve got to play big minutes, so to see a 125kg prop be fitter than us is pretty extraordinary,” Turpin said.