RUGBY LEAGUE
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JOINED by their Riverina heritage, Junee boys Andrew Heffernan and Trent Schubach have bonded over their shared breakthrough season in the NRL under 20s competition this season.
The talented and determined pair are shooting for the heights of rugby league stardom with the Raiders, having helped deliver the team to a Holden Cup minor premiership and a major semi-final against Canterbury-Bankstown tomorrow.
For Heffernan, a shot at playing finals football seemed almost impossible at the start of the season.
The 18-year-old was a Group Nine representative with Southcity last year, before leaving for Canberra to join the Raiders’ SG Ball squad, where he suffered a dislocated shoulder in the first few rounds of the season.
Requiring surgery to repair the damage, Heffernan was out of action for the first 15 rounds of the NRL season but fought an uphill battle to prove fitness and reach his goal of under 20s selection.
“I was pretty keen to build myself up and get my body right, and I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to do that,” he told The Daily Advertiser yesterday.
“I was lucky enough to hold onto my spot, but a lot of the older guys have helped me out with my transition, it’s a lot tougher and a lot different to anything I’ve done before.
“It’s faster, more physical, a whole different brand of footy.
“It’s a lot more mental too, if you switch off mentally for a minute they’ll hurt you.
“I’m loving it though, even against bigger teams it’s exciting.”
From what started out as a horror season for the utility back, Heffernan’s endurance and determination to make a full recovery has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension and a spot in the Holden Cup finals.
To have Schubach beside him the whole way has been a blessing, and the pair will spend at least until the end of next year trying to crack the top grade together.
“He’s been playing some good footy as well which is good, he’s been working really hard at a few different areas,” Heffernan said.
“I’m with the club for another two years and Trent’s here next year as well; the whole side is quite young so it’s a promising sign for us.”
Raiders lost just four games this season but were given a 62-12 thrashing by Bulldogs a fortnight ago – a result Heffernan deems irrelevant before tomorrow’s final at ANZ Stadium.
“These last few weeks we’ve been playing our best footy, we’re ready for the finals,” he said.
“Finals is a totally different game and if we can play the football I know we can, we’ll be confident.”
The winner of tomorrow’s game will progress to the preliminary final with a chance to secure the first spot in the decider.