After two seasons at the Newcastle Knights, including a title-winning Harold Matthews Cup tilt in 2019, Mitchell Henderson needed a break.
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One of the state's most exciting rugby league prospects opted not to fulfil the final year of a three-year deal with the NRL club because he wanted normality to return to his life.
It's way too much travel, and it's putting a lot of pressure on myself, my family and [my] school [work] as well.
- Mitchell Henderson
"It's way too much travel, and it's putting a lot of pressure on myself, my family and [my] school [work] as well," the 16-year-old playmaker said of his time at Newcastle.
The decision to stay at home this year means Henderson has forgone the chance to shine in the state's premier under-18 competition, the SG Ball Cup.
While his former Knights teammates are currently taking part in that competition, Henderson has been reminding NRL scouts of his ability by starring at No 6 for the Greater Northern Tigers at the under-18 Laurie Daley Cup.
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He has also rejoined Kootingal-Moonbi, whom he played with before linking with Farrer and the Knights.
Henderson will be eligible to play first grade when he turns 17 in June. Solidly built and possessing a game that his Tigers coach Tom Learoyd-Lahrs described as "really fast" with a "strong shape", it would be a tantalising prospect to see him in the top grade this season, although the year 11 Farrer student said he was at Kooty to play under-18s.
Roosters coach Geoff Sharpe saw the Tigers' loss to the Central Coast at Farrer on February 22, later commenting that Henderson "could play", or words to that effect.
In that match, Henderson set up the first try of the match with a beautifully weighted pass, and stopped what looked like a certain try when he brought down a Central Coast player on the tryline.
Co-captain of a talented but inconsistent Greater Northern side, he scored his third try of the competition in the Tigers' come-from-behind 28-26 third-round defeat of the North Coast in Port Macquarie last Saturday. The Tigers play the competition-leading Northern Rivers Titans in Lismore on Saturday.
Greater Northern are in fourth spot on the ladder, with two matches remaining before the finals.
Henderson said the Tigers were "feeling really good" after the win against the North Coast, when a first half littered with mistakes was replaced by the type of high-quality attacking football they produced in beating the Knights 32-4 in Newcastle in round one.
"Everyone's really happy with everyone's attitude in the team, and really keen for this weekend's game against Northern Rivers Titans," he said.
"They're the top team, they're looking the best, so it will be a big challenge. If we play to our full potential, we should go all right."
Henderson would "love" to play NRL. "That's the goal in the end."
For now, though, he is "just having some fun trying to play good footy. [I'll] see what comes from that."
