Origin hopeful demonstrates character away from the football field
QUEENSLAND State of Origin squad member Corey Allan is a shooting star of the code but five years ago he proved a star off the field by helping introduce a school suicide prevention program.
The South Sydney outside back, who has been rewarded for a stellar 2020 with a Maroons call-up following a breakthrough NRL season, was instrumental in starting a mental health program while still at Marsden State High School.
In 2015 Allan, who also spent time at Keebra Park SHS, joined a handful of other classmates at Marsden in founding the Mates Talk Change group.
Mates Talk Change is a mental health program started following the suicide of former Logan league juniors Alex Elisala and Francis Winterstein.
The suicides of Elisala and Winterstein, and other Logan teenagers around the same time, rocked the Logan community and Allan showed great leadership in initiating the program.
“Corey was one of the original Mates Talk Change group that started our successful positive mental health program #MTC,’’ Marsden SHS principal Andrew Peach said.
As a result of the program, children at the school and wider community were encouraged to discuss mental health issues.
Allan has been on the lips of many in the rugby league community since shining for Marsden SHS.
In 2018, as a Brisbane Broncos under-20s player, he became the first non-NRL player to play in the annual clash against PNG.
But it has taken until 2020 for Allan to show his potential.
“He always did the unexpected,’’ said former Canberra and Broncos recruitment ace Brian Edwards.
“And it is just starting to come out in his NRL game now.’’
Former Queensland State of
Origin centres Josh Hannay or Justin Hodges would be others not surprised to see Allan progress into Origin camp.
Both sung his praises when he was coming through the Queensland under-20s and club (Souths Logan) system.
Ironically the best thing to happen to Allan was that he did not burst on to the NRL as a teenager, rather he had a season playing against men in the Intrust Super Cup before progressing at South Sydney.