Christian’s Q Cup dreams soar as Jets get serious

FORMER Kirwan State High school five- eighth Julian Christian, 18, will be thrown into Ipswich’s desperate chase of the Townsville Blackhawks.

The Brisbane Broncos under- 20s playmaker will make his Queensland Cup debut today when the Ipswich Jets take on the Mackay Cutters.

The Jets must win their next two games to have any chance of overtaking the sixth- placed Blackhawks and sneak into finals, and they must win by giant margins due to Townsville’s superior for and against. The Blackhawks have the bye and play their last game of the regular season against Sunshine Coast next weekend.

Christian, who was a member of Kirwan High’s 2015 GIO Schoolboys Cup championship side, knows the task in near impossible but is still excited about his ISC debut.

“Playing Q Cup is something I’ve wanted to do for a while now,” Christian said.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love the under- 20s, but Q Cup is a step up and that’s where I want to be next season because the ( Holden Cup) under- 20s finishes at the end of the year.

“People keep telling me the Jets play a style that suits me and it’s a style I enjoy.”

Christian played his junior rugby league for the Edmonton Storm and then attended secondary school at Kirwan, where he cemented himself as the Kirwan Bears’ top playmaker.

He won the GIO Schoolboys Cup player of the tournament medal, with Eels great Peter Sterling comparing Christian’s elusive style to former Dally M winner Preston Campbell.

Former Kirwan High teammate Enari Tuala, who is likely to make his NRL debut with the Cowboys tonight, played with Christian in Kirwan’s 2015 side.

Christian, who is also off contract with the Broncos at season’s end, has not ruled out returning to North Queensland next year.

“I’m hoping to do a pre- season with the Jets, but if that doesn’t happen I’ll probably come back to Townsville or Cairns,” he said.

“But the goal is to keep cracking Q Cup and play as many games as I can.”