BIG CHANCE FOR PLAYERS TO SHOW THEIR WORTH

OPPORTUNITY is sometimes all you need to turn your dreams into reality. Eight young men from across North Queensland have the chance to do just that this summer on the lush turf of Jack Manski Oval.

The Townsville Blackhawks giving eight ‘ park footballers’ the chance to earn a semi-professional contract could be the sliding doors moment in some of their careers.

While their mates are out unwinding at the beach or the pub this offseason, it’s go time for these men to prove they have what it takes to belong at the next level.

It’s a brilliant move from the Blackhawks but not just for the players coach Aaron Payne has hand-picked.

It shows juniors coming through the ranks our Queensland Cup club is taking note of the local footy.

It also shows established first-graders across the Townsville District Rugby League they can take the next step if they want it badly enough.

If you shine consistently for the Crushers, Miners, Tigers, Lions and so on you’ll be on the radar for Q Cup. Which is exactly how it should be.

While some of the elite schoolboy talent may be brought into an NRL club at a young age and debut soon after, there’s been a plethora of players who have been late bloomers and earned their status by climbing the ladder.

Take Cody Walker for example. The Casino Cougars product went from bush footy, to bouncing around multiple Queensland and New South Wales Cup teams before getting his chance at the top level.

He was 26 when he got his first taste of the NRL and has become one of the sport’s premier players.

The Blackhawks have suffered a mass exodus since the conclusion of the 2021 campaign, so why shouldn’t our best local players fill those sports?

Why can’t one of these players be the next Cody Walker?

I hope these eight young men take their chance with both hands and realise how significant it could be for their careers.

They could go from performing in front of a couple of hundred people to the cusp of an NRL contract in the blink of an eye.

It just comes down to whether they’ll take the opportunity.