When 13-year-old Sydnee Cleeland and her mum Josie found out more than halfway into their 10-hour drive from Mt Isa to Townsville that the NQ Schoolgirls trials had been cancelled, they thought their trip was ruined.
However, with the help of family friend Cara and her daughter, current Indigenous All Star and Sydney Roosters NRLW player Keilee Joseph, the Cleelands were put in touch with Cowboys Elite Pathways Coach Ben Jeffries, who made sure the teenager didn’t go home emptyhanded.
“To do an 1800km round trip for one trial is a huge commitment, so when it was postponed due to extreme heat when they were more than halfway here, I knew we had to do something for Sydnee,” Jeffries said.
“We didn’t want her to leave without some sort of experience to keep inspiring her to live out her dream in rugby league.
“Whether a female comes in for one session or multiple, the expectation of our program is that players always get the best possible experience to enhance their rugby league knowledge and understanding.”
