Magpies No 9 Connor Robinson will give uni a second go

The 22-year-old from Kootingal is eyeing a return to uni next year, after abandoning his nursing degree at Charles Sturt University, Bathurst in 2020 and getting booted off campus because of the pandemic.

And when he arrives at Charles Sturt University's Port Macquarie campus, it will be for the commencement of physiotherapy degree.

In a way, it feels like he was destined to study physiotherapy - although the road to get there has been long and winding.

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That road did, however, led Robinson back to the Magpies, whom he first joined in 2014 while at McCarthy Catholic College - where he "mucked around a bit" and wrongly assumed that he had blown his chance to get into physiotherapy at uni.

This year he made his first-grade debut at the club. And last Saturday, his two-try effort was one of the few positives to come out of the side's 41-17 loss to Robb College at Kootingal Recreation Reserve.

"I got two and a half years in[to nursing] ... I basically finished it," said the Magpies No 9. "I had six months to go and I realised it wasn't for me. So, I thought I'd change it [his degree]."

"It turned out that I could have [gotten in physiotherapy]," he added. "But I already had my mind set on doing nursing."

"I think it's more me," he said of physio. "It suits my personality better."

Regrouping after dropping out of nursing also gave Robinson a chance to return to his roots, when he worked as a stud hand at Scone's Vinery Stud, a thoroughbreds nursery.

He hails from the Scone/Muswellbrook area, and grew up around the horseracing industry.

"And we moved away from it,"' said Robinson, whose family relocated to Kootignal when he was in year 7. "So, I thought I'd go back and do it for a year. It was good fun."

The Magpies sit last on the ladder with one win, and play undefeated competition leaders St Albert's College at Bellevue College on Saturday.

After the Robb loss, which included Tamworth conceding six unanswered first-half tries, Robinson - a bottle shop employee - said the Magpies had to stop "dropping" their heads.

"Keep supporting us," he told Magpies fans. "We're working on it, we're hoping to get better, and hopefully there's a win around the corner for us."

Robinson is unsure if he will play for Tamworth again after this season.

"I love the club," he said, adding: "It would be good to finish the year off on a positive - get a couple of wins, hopefully."

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