JAMES A WORKHORSE ON AND OFF THE GROUND
RYAN James still remembers the day players from Parramatta made a visit to his school.
The impact that clinic made on the footy-loving kid from Bilambil was replicated yesterday when the Titans captain headed back to his old patch to lend support to its rugby league team.
The Bilambil Public School team will head to Sydney next week to take part in the New South Wales Rugby League all schools carnival, with James presenting players and coach with a signed Titans jersey to help raise funds for the trip.
“It was good getting back down to Bilambil, I love it down here and mum and dad still (live) up the hill,” he said.
“I try to get down to Bilambil Jets often and when the kids told us last week the school made it through to the carnival down in Sydney, the Titans said we could give them a jersey and hopefully we can raise some funds in a raffle or however we can to help the parents out.
“For them to make it to Sydney is a big achievement.”
Bilambil won through a NSW North Coast competition to qualify for the Sydney tournament, with some students from the small school set to board their first flight next Tuesday when the team travels.
James’s school visit is nothing new though. The Titans captain, who also ran players through drills at the school yesterday, is a regular at the Bilambil Jets.
And his continued community work has earnt him the Titans’ nomination for the Ken Stephen Medal, an award that recognises the efforts of a player who makes outstanding commitment to community projects each year.
James topped the Titans’ player hours in community service in 2017 with 116 and again leads the appearance hours this season after endeavours including cosponsoring jerseys for the Bilambil Jets to coincide with NRL indigenous Round and flying to Rockhampton to help launch the ARTIE Academy, a program for indigenous school-aged children named after Arthur Beetson.