Grant living childhood dream as a Queenslander

BRISBANE: Harry Grant used to run on the kicking tee for Ben Hunt; now he is set to come off the bench to spell him in tomorrow night’s opening State of Origin match at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
Grant is living his childhood dream in the Queensland camp at Sanctuary Cove, with his idols on the coaching staff and another sharing the dummy half duties with him after Hunt was named to start and hooker and the Storm star on the interchange.
The Melbourne hooker grew up watching the likes of Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston riding bikes around the Maroons camp on television but despite having been a member of the Queensland squad for the past two seasons it was something he had never experienced.
The 24-year-old also looked up to Hunt, who played in the Yeppoon Seagulls under 14s team coached by his father Paul Grant.
“I always looked up to Benny as a player and a person,” Grant said.
“I think I was six or seven and used to be the tee boy.
“I remember him carving up teams singlehandedly and followed his career closely so to play in a Maroons jersey with him is pretty special for myself, but also the whole community in Yeppoon.
“You see what Benny has done for Queensland, every time he has pulled on a Maroons jersey he has done a brilliant job, so for me just to have the opportunity to play alongside Benny in that Queensland jersey is going to be special.”
– NRL