NRL is the name of the game for this pair
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday August 6, 2009
FRAZER MASINAMUA and Gus Jasmin are both 15 and not used to being interviewed.But that doesn't matter right now. What matters is that they can play. Yesterday, they were enjoying a big win with their under-15s teammates from Westfields Sports High School. In a few years, they hope to be able to celebrate breaking into the NRL.Masinamua is a big boy. "I'm trying to lose 10 kilos," he told the Herald during a break from play in the early rounds of the NSWRL All Schools Knockout at Whalan Reserve in western Sydney. "I want to get back to 100."Yes, just 100 kilograms. He couldn't run while recovering from a badly broken ankle suffered late last season. "I had a screw put through my ankle and today's only my second game back," he said.Being so big makes Masinamua a constant threat on the field, as a back-rower who runs hard and has skill, and it makes him stand out off the field, where he says he is learning to take a deep breath to stay out of trouble."I try to avoid trouble, but sometimes it's a bit hard for me because I'm a big boy and it tends to find me," he said."I've walked away a few times, but it's not easy. I'm still learning. I get my patience tested, but I have to learn to turn away if I'm going to succeed. I want to play NRL. It's a long way away, but if I train hard I might be able to make it."The most revealing €“ and refreshing €“ thing about these two kids is that they seem to get it when it comes to realising that if you want to make it these days, you need to behave just as well as you play. The game is playing hardball now with off-field offenders, and that is clearly the way it is going to stay.Jasmin, a five-eighth who plays a year up in the under-16s Harold Matthews competition for the Bulldogs €“ Masinamua plays for Parramatta in the same comp €“ has also battled injury and off-field adversity. But his sees his goals €“ and the way to reach them €“ pretty clearly."Hopefully, one day, I'll play NRL with the Bulldogs," Jasmin said. "I've still got a long way to go, but I think I'm heading in the right direction. I'm training hard and I'm making sure I stay focused and keep away from trouble. I've been through a lot of injuries, but I'm not worried about that now."Peter Mulholland and Ben Rogers, from the recruitment departments of the Bulldogs and Eels respectively, were watching these €“ and other €“ players yesterday. There are no guarantees with kids, but there is potential, and they like what they see."Gus is a boy that does his best all the time," Mulholland said. "He's got the skill and a great attitude, so he's got the potential."Rogers was similarly optimistic about Masinamua's chances, and said that when scouting for young league players many things were taken into consideration. Clubs have to do that, because there is a lot of time and money invested in trying to develop a first-grade footballer. Parramatta have dipped into their funds to pay school fees to ensure another promising young player, Tepai Moeroa, stayed in league rather than switch to rugby."The issue of school fees can be a massive one," Rogers said. "Newington [College] wanted Tepai to start now on a full boarding scholarship for the next four years. We thought we had to do what we could to help keep him in rugby league. He's at Patrician Brothers Blacktown and he comes from a good family, so it's better for him to stay with them."Jarryd Hayne, Krisnan Inu, Feleti Mateo, Dene Halatau and Luke O'Donnell are among current NRL stars who attended Westfields Sports High, at Fairfield.Westfields coach Greg Boulous said the talent was there again at the knockout, which concluded with the under-13, -14s, -15s and-16s finals at St Marys Leagues Stadium late yesterday afternoon. The team that included Masinamua and Jasmin beat Illawarra Sports High 12-6 to take the under-15s crown.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald