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Award for Knight who stepped into Joey's shoes
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| By JOHN DAVIDSON
30 April, 2006 |
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| FOOTBALL EDUCATION: Jarrod Mullen is keen to learn as much as he can from Andrew ‘Joey’ Johns and Danny Buderus. |
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Jarrod Mullen, one of rugby league’s hottest prospects, has another accolade after receiving his second outstanding Blues award in a row from the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges Sports Association for sporting excellence.
The former St Francis Xavier’s College, Hamilton, student finished Year 12 last year and is now a member of the first grade squad of the Newcastle Knights.
“It’s a great honour to get the Blues award,” he said.
“I didn’t think I was going to get one because there were only a couple of people nominated and since I got one the year before, I didn’t think I was going to get one this year.
“So it was a bit of a surprise.
“I got the major award last year, the Vince Villa award, so it was good to get another blues award this year.”
Jarrod became involved in rugby league through his father, a former Canterbury Bulldogs player.
His family moved to Newcastle from Taree when he was 11 and he attended St Therese’s Primary School, New Lambton, and played for local league club, Western Suburbs.
He continued his education at St Pius X High School, Adamstown, and then at St Francis Xavier’s College where he was selected for the Australian Schoolboys in both years.
Now he has joined a long line of former St Francis Xavier’s students who have gone on to play first-grade rugby league, including current Knights Danny Buderus and Anthony Quinn, as well as Owen Craigie and Rodney Howe.
The 19-year old has fond memories of his high school days.
“At St Francis Xavier’s the teachers treated you like you were an adult,” he said.
“I liked both the schools but St Francis Xavier’s was good.
“There’s a good record coming from there, so hopefully a couple more players will come up through there and get their name in first-grade.”
Jarrod made his first-grade debut in round 10 against the Wests Tigers last season at the age of 18.
He went on to play a total of eight games but the Knights ended their horror season with the wooden spoon.
Jarrod says he wasn’t expecting a run in first-grade last year but is hoping to add to his tally this season.
“I wasn’t expecting to play any games last year, but there were a lot of injuries so I got my chance and tried to make the most of it,” he said.
“It was pretty tough coming into a side that hasn’t won a game, all the boys being pretty down.
“It was a pretty tough game, they were very big fellas, it was pretty physical but it was good.”
Recently Jarrod re-signed with the Knights until 2009 and has been filling in for star halfback Andrew ‘Joey’ Johns, the world’s best player.
He says learning from the injured Johns is one of the reasons he stayed in Newcastle, and replacing him is anything but easy.
“I re-signed just to keep my education in football with Joey,” he said, just so I can learn as much as I can off him, and play off him and ‘Bedsy’ (Danny Buderus).
“It’s a tough assignment (filling in for Joey), a tough assignment for anyone.
“I’ll just try and go out there and do my best.
“If I can play while Joey’s out and hopefully get a spot somewhere in first-grade there for the rest of the year.”
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