By HENRY MORABANG
YES, it was a wake-up call for an aspiring rugby league player Swokin Magini of Port Moresby as he found himself in Sydney among Roosters – that is, rugby league players of Sydney City Roosters in the National Rugby League.Magini - Schoolboys rugby league Brad Filter Award winner - experienced a taste of life, if only briefly, as a fulltime rugby league player with the Roosters recently.
Magini was the first recipient of the Brad Fitler Award with the PNG Schoolboys Rugby League competition.
As Port Moresby Schoolboys Player of the Year, the young Rigo chap spent four days in the camp where he rubbed shoulders with some of the best coaching staff in the business which included Brad Fittler and the National Youth Competition chief and current Kumuls coach Adrian Lam. Also in the camp was fitness and conditioning trainer and current Australian Kangaroos trainer, Ronny Palmer.
During the last four days, Magini was taken through a number of sessions that included - fitness testing for speed, muscular strength and cardio vascular endurance and strength training. He was also given information on weights programmes and correct technique, diet and nutrition and of course skills coaching.
The highlight of these skills sessions will be the chance to train with the first grade squad under the guidance of Brad Fittler.
The Roosters coaching and development manager Brian Gray said that, “The Sydney City Roosters are delighted to be involved with the development of rugby league in PNG through this scholarship.”
“It is hoped Swokin will not only develop his skills and knowledge of the game but pass on what he has learnt to other players in P.N.G. Without doubt P.N.G. has the talent to provide a host of players in the NRL - it is talent that needs to be identified and developed and the Sydney City Roosters are doing this through the Brad Fittler Award,” he said.
PNG Schoolboys RL chairman Ifisoe Segeyaro said Magini is the first recipient of this award this year.
“Every year we will continue to identify new winners which is going to create a lot of excitement among our young talents in the schoolboys competition throughout the country,” he said.