Youngster signs with the NRL’s Titans

Zae Wallace’s rugby league dreams are quickly becoming a reality.

Last year, the 18-year-old was the youngest player for the Mt Albert Lions competing in Auckland’s Fox Premier Rugby League Competition.

Now, he’s signed a contract with the NRL’s Gold Coast Titans and is setting his sights on a National Youth Competition (NYC) debut in 2017 - the NRL’s junior league.

It’s a remarkable story for an athlete who only picked up the game three years ago and at just 165cm and 70kg, the little halfback has aspirations that far exceed his stature on the field.

‘‘Yeah I’m not the biggest lad on the pitch,’’ Wallace said.

‘‘But my goal for this year is to ultimately play a whole season of NYC to show them what I got.

‘‘Obviously my biggest goal is to play in the NRL. I’ve been taught to dream big so im going for the NRL this year, you never know what can happen in rugby league so you have to stay ready.’’

Wallace’s success is of little surprise.

In 2016, he was awarded the Rookie of the Year award in his first year playing Fox Memorial for the Mt Albert Lions and picked up the SAS College Rugby League MVP award and halfback of the year for the first 13 team.

He was selected in the New Zealand Secondary School team for the second time and was also named in the NZ Under 18 team.

‘‘I knew my manager was talking to the Titans and I just came home from school everyday hoping I’d get some good news,’’ Wallace said.

‘‘I had just worked so hard for it so it was sort of a relief you know?’’

That relief came in November when Wallace’s manager Marcus Feasey gave him the news and he decided to move to the Gold Coast immediately.

He left his family and his high school of Westlake Boys -a decision he said wasn’t always favoured by his teachers.

‘‘I was always being told at school I can’t play league my whole life,’’ he said.

‘‘All my teachers said I had the potential if I tried at school but school just wasn’t for me.

‘‘I just didn’t enjoy the work, and on the other hand I loved playing footy and I wanted to do it everyday for a job.’’

He credited his parents for his success.

Wallace is now deep into preseason with the Titans, training up to five times a week.

Team trials are the next step before round one of the NYC gets underway on March 4.