It has been a long time between representative assignments for Mitch Henderson.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Almost seven months after starring for the Greater Northern Tigers under-18s, the dual-code star will this week join some of the state's most exciting young rugby talent at the third NSW Waratahs Gen Blue camp.
It is the Year 11 Farrer student's second year involved in the program and he is looking forward to the couple of days down in Sydney.
"I'm pretty keen, it will be my first time being fully fit to play for these guys because the carnival in Canberra last year I had the broken collarbone (he'd injured it playing for Farrer in their NRL Schoolboy Cup quarter-final win the month before) so I didn't get to play," he said.
READ ALSO:
"I'm pretty excited to get down there with the best of the bunch and get amongst it."
Waratahs coaches Rob Penney, Matt Cockbain and Chris Whitaker will be amongst those providing their expertise over the two days, which will incorporate training and games.
Henderson said it will be good to get back into some rep footy.
"Apart from the Greater Northern Tigers at the start of the year this will be the only rep I get this year so I'm really keen to make the most of it and have a real good crack," he said.
Before COVID wreaked it's havoc he was hoping to play a bit of rep footy this year.
He was keen to be part of the Central North (rugby) program and the school rep program for both union and league. And then of course there was the Farrer 1st XIII's campaigns.
That didn't eventuate with Farrer playing just the one game, and all the rep carnivals called off.
But fortunately he was still able to play a bit of footy.
As well as lining up for Farrer in the North West Regional Youth Rugby competition, he also played a few games for the Denman Devils under-18s in the Newcastle competition.
Unfortunately though they suffered the same fate as the Farrer rugby boys did, going down in the grand final. In what was a heart-breaker they lost by just six points.
"We were up by a couple of tries and then in about 10-15 minutes they scored three tries, a quick two and then the last one was right before the finish," Henderson said.
It will be a busy couple of weeks for the teenager with the Tigers trials coming up next Friday (October 16).
After a strong Laurie Daley Cup campaign this year (they just missed the semi-finals) Henderson is keen to be involved again.
"We had a pretty good team so hopefully we can carry that on to next year," he said.
