While the NRL garners attention with its grand finals and Test matches, thousands of amateur and semi-professional players tirelessly chase their dreams of turning professional.
Despite the glamorous portrayal of athletes’ lives, the path to the top tier involves relentless hard work and preparation over years.
Rugby league’s popularity is surging, evidenced by 200,000 community participants in Australia and renewed interest in New Zealand, where the One New Zealand Warriors’ recent successes have inspired many.
However, with only 510 fulltime NRL contracts available each season across 17 clubs, the competition is fierce, and only a few will achieve their goal.
Young players like Toby Crosby epitomise this challenging journey. Like fellow Warrior Rocco Berry, Crosby was a former rugby union prospect out of St. Patrick’s College in Silverstream, but joined the One New Zealand Warriors’ Jersey Flegg team after leaving his familiar environment in Wellington.
He balances work across Auckland with evening training sessions, embodying the dedication required for a shot at the NRL. Despite the daunting odds and the brief average NRL career span of just three seasons, Crosby and his peers remain committed, driven by the hope that their risk and hard work will pay off. Their daily grind and unwavering dedication, away from the public eye, highlight the stark reality of aspiring athletes striving to reach the professional realm.
“Everything was there in Wellington for me, like family, friends, I had a job and footy was going alright there,” he told the Warriors’ website. “It was a risk, and it’s paid off for me, so it’s going to pay off for anyone else as well.”
