Brailey's dream comes true as schoolboy stars land in PNG
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Blayke Brailey feared his representative dreams would never eventuate before a stunning run of form delivered his first Kangaroos call up.
The Sharks hooker was a star junior and represented the Australian Schoolboys in 2015 and 2016 but his NRL career has been a slow burn.
While ultra consistent for Cronulla, representative opportunities had always remained out of reach for the quiet achiever who made his first grade debut in 2019.
That all changed this year, when Brailey's form became impossible to ignore. The dummy half finished the season as Dally M Hooker of the Year and led the Sharks to the preliminary final.
Now, a Kangaroos debut beckons, with the 27-year-old desperate to turn a dream into reality.
Blayke Brailey Try
"You're always hopeful you'll eventually get there," Brailey told NRL.com. "But it is so hard to get into and there are so many quality players in the NRL.
"Before I head over to England I'm sure I'll look back at old photos and think about the times I was playing Australian Schoolboys. There was definitely a time where I wasn't sure if I was ever going to get here but to be here now, I'm going to hold on to that, take it with both hands and not let it go."
Match: England v Kangaroos
Round 1 -
home Team
England
away Team
Kangaroos
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
The Cronulla hooker is locked in a battle with Harry Grant for the starting No.9 jumper. The Storm skipper has his nose in front, but that could change in the two weeks before the first Test at Wembley Stadium.
Brailey played Australian Schoolboys alongside Kangaroos teammates Nathan Cleary and Reuben Cotter in 2015 before captaining the side in 2016 against England.
The 2016 team featured Zac Lomax, Campbell Graham and Payne Haas.
All up, eight members of the current Australian squad represented the country at schoolboy level.
While they have all ended up at the same place, the journeys have been vastly different. Some, like Cleary, burst on to the scene and enjoyed near-instant success.
Throwback: Australian Schoolboys captain Nathan Cleary
Others, like Brailey, were forced to bide their time before opportunities emerged.
"To see their progression and how quickly they got here was inspiring," Brailey said.
"I wanted to be in this position and now to be here, I'm sure we'll talk about our time in Australian Schoolboys together. Hopefully that connection is still there for these games."
The next generation of rugby league stars will be on display this weekend when the national schoolgirl and schoolboy sides take on Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby.
The two games will be livestreamed on NRL.com from 9am (AEST) Sunday and will be played before the Prime Minister's XIII clashes later in the afternoon.
Lindsay Smith played for Australian Schoolboys in 2017 and said this weekend is a good opportunity for the youngsters to lay the platform for a successful NRL career.
"It was a pretty cool experience," Smith said. "It's the highest honour at that level.
"I still look at that side, it was a pretty talented side and think about where everyone was and where they are now. It was a cool learning experience and helped me in my journey."
