SOME of rugby league’s biggest names will be on the Border this week.
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League journeyman George Rose, former Canberra Raiders captain Alan Tongue and Melbourne Storm duo Slade Griffin and Scott Drinkwater will visit 30 schools across Albury-Wodonga on Thursday and Friday as part of the NRL’s community carnival.
Albury Thunder’s Mitch Seaton and LeagueTag players Courtney Barrett and Hayley McDonald will join eight NRL staff – which includes Bulldogs premiership-winning hooker Adam Perry – in the carnival.
NRL game development officer for south west NSW Dean Whymark said the players wanted to spread the message of “wellbeing” for primary students and “dream, believe, achieve” for their high school counterparts.
While Rose and Tongue are the big names, Whymark was excited about what Drinkwater and Griffin could offer.
He said Australian Schoolboys sensation Drinkwater has been “touted as the next Cooper Cronk in rugby league”.
“It’s particularly good, we believe, to have two really good up-and-coming players,” he said.
“They’ll be visiting high schools based around our ‘dream, believe, achieve’ theme which is about goal-setting, reaching your potential and how to go from school to a professional sporting career so it’s always good to speak to young players who have just gone through that process.”
Whymark said sleep, hydration, belonging and mental health would be the main focuses of the assembly workshops across the 30 school visits.
He said training clinics would be held at Brian Esler Park in Wodonga and Sarvaas Park in Albury from 4.30-5pm on Thursday.
“It’s going to be a massive couple of days – we can’t wait,” he said.
Rose played 151 first grade NRL matches with Manly, the Sydney Roosters, Melbourne Storm and St George Illawarra.
He played in the Sea Eagles’ 2011 grand final victory and is no stranger to the Border region after brother Matt starred in the Albury Thunder’s 2012 premiership.
Tongue played 220 matches in an illustrious career for the Raiders.
Last week, Tongue said the lewd scandal that has rocked Mitchell Pearce's career will serve as a warning for all NRL players.
The retired hard-working forward now works with the NRL in helping educate players in the "Voice Against Violence" program, which is designed to create conversations with men in rugby league about domestic violence.