Have you ever played with, against or coached a player who played NRL?

[Wizardman]

Have you ever played with, against or coached a player who played NRL?
I played in the same team as Nathan Friend in a local league. I did not know him well but was a nice guy and was down to earth. I played in the second-row with him back then and he was quite a chunky, muscled up lad. I never thought he'd be a hooker but he seemed dedicated. I didn't think he'd make the NRL but am very pleased about how good his career has turned out. Very deserving.
I coached a kid named Junior Vai Vai years ago. He played a few games of first grade, got in trouble with the law and his career petered out from there. If ever there was living proof that you need more than talent alone to make the NRL, Junior is living proof. I’ve never seen a more talented junior in 14 years of coaching than Junior. At 12, he could do anything on a football field….only kid I’ve ever seen that had no fault in his game. I thought he’d play NRL for sure. While he did, he did not fulfil his potential.

 

[Clifferd]

Played with and against Jackson Hastings, Jack Bird & the Morris twins in various OzTag / League rep games

Also absolutely creamed Tyrone Roberts in an open league game a couple years back when he played for the Knights. Dunno where he's at now, but made him hurt...probably one of my proudest moments haha

 

[carcharias]

Yep
Not f**king oztag or tip bullshit either.
Proper footy...it at least 18,19,20's.

 

[Charlie124]

I'd let Michael Morgan play with me if he wanted to.

 

[kdalymc]

Blake Leary, Kev Proctor, Corey Norman, Chris McQueen.

Also played a year of reserve grade with Graham Mackay....
An eshay adlay threatened to "slit his f**ken throat" one training session. That was funny

 

[Nugget10]

Played against Cameron Smith in Under 17's. Definitely was a class above even back then

The year after I was trialing with Wynnum Manly colts. We had a trial against Norths. Played against Smith and Inglis. I'm pretty sure Slater and Cronk were there too. It was about 40 degrees at Bishop Park and as a Prop I was struggling. Got caught out at centre in defence. Inglis spotted it and made me look stupid. My "career" was pretty much over that day haha.

 

[knights22]

Currently playing with Jacob loko, Jake Mullaney and Sione Tovo in my local team. Mullaney is definitely a class above everyone scored 5 tries last week

 

[DiegoNT]

Played against a wests tigers under 17s that toured the NT about a decade ago. They allowed us to have a few over age ring ins play (a few of 18 year olds and a 19 year old) so they could have a look at them and we surprisingly held our own for most of the match. I don't know how many of them made first grade and not many stood out but there fullback was a freak and was the difference between the 2 sides. It was kinda dis-heartening that someone the same age was literally 20x the player you were. He ended up making first grade less then a year later and had an amazing debut game against the Broncos so it made it less of a blow that he made us look silly. That player was Chris Lawrence. One of our players got picked up by the Tigers before a stint at the storm before finally settling at the Eels, Luke Kelly.
Everyone has probably played against a few first graders and not even realised it.
Going even further back my sister played against Bryson Goodwin in under 10s. The reason we remember him was because he played for the team in Perth everyone hated, his father was running the WARL into the ground at the time and every time the WARL newsletter came out all the talk was of how good the goodwin boys were. So it was quite funny when my sister, who wasn't anything special, knocked him out when her team played his. Now i have to watch him plod it up for the rabbitohs with that always in my mind

 

[Bronco18]

Played against Milford in under 16s and I almost tackled him once

 

[The Enforcer]

Played against Paul Osborne, Brett Atkins, Ronny Gibbs and Ashley Gilbert in the local Canberra comp. I'm sure there were others, but can't remember.

 

[Meth]

Lesley Vanikolo ran over me a couple of times

 

[dogz08]

played touch/tackle with josh reynolds & dean whare

 

[Misanthrope]

Closest I've come has been playing a muck around game of league in the park that happened to involve Jason Ferris.

 

[_snafu_]

Played against Olsen Filipaina when he played for Ryde-Eastwood. Biggest player I've played against.

 

[thorson1987]

Played with Shannon Macdonnell, Mickey Paea, Kris Inu and Liam Foran

Played against Jarrod Sammutt, Shannon Gallant, Chris Lawrence.

Refereed Jarryd Hayne and Simon Dwyer

Also played Oz Tag against Bryce Gibbs and Ben Roberts.

 

[skot]

Played Union with Wally Lewis at High School

 

[St Tangles]

Played with Matthew Fuller and against Angelo Alavanjo a long long time ago.
Not household names.
I got smashed by players that never played top flight footy and stopped playing in 1985.

 

[Glen]

I played juniors with Dally Messenger. Used to run rings around him

 

[The Enforcer]

Played against Paul Osborne, Brett Atkins, Ronny Gibbs and Ashley Gilbert in the local Canberra comp. I'm sure there were others, but can't remember.

Gavin Miller.

 

[tumbidragon]

Played with and against Daniel Conn and Beau Robinson (Union)