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Jayden Sullivan

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
sullivanj-dsc_0459.jpg


DRAGONS


Teen star tipped to be Dragons' best home-grown playmaker
Author
Brad Walter NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Wed 11 Dec 2019, 12:01 PM
walterbrad-head.png

Jayden Sullivan has the face of his father Jason tattooed on the back of his leg as a reminder of the influence he has had on the rise of the 18-year-old some believe could become St George Illawarra's best locally produced playmaker.

Sullivan, who grew up in Port Kembla but calls the nearby Coomaditchie Mission "home", is considered an integral part of the Dragons' future as one of eight players signed for at least the next three seasons, along with Ben Hunt, Paul Vaughan, Tariq Sims, Blake Lawrie, Zac Lomax and Jason Saab.

Rookie centre Shaun Sauno-Esau is the other, and like Sullivan the St George junior is on a development contract and yet to make his NRL debut.

That opportunity could come for Sullivan after June 30 if Ben Hunt or Corey Norman are on State of Origin duty but the teen halfback insists he is in no rush as he learns the ropes from the club's likely next captain Cameron McInness, who has been driving him to training most days.

McInness has taken Sullivan under his wing and he is not only learning what is required to play NRL but "just to be a good bloke" from the 25-year-old hooker he described as "the best bloke ever".

"With me being so young anybody older than me is a role model, even the boys who haven't played NRL yet," Sullivan said.

sullivan-dad-kooriknockout.jpg

Jayden Sullivan and his father Jason at the Koori Knockout. :copyright:Facebook
However, there is little doubt who the NSW under 18s representative and captain of last season's SG Ball-winning Illawarra team looks up to most.

"There are too many good words to describe my father," Sullivan said. "He is tattooed on my leg. I have got his face tattooed on the back of my leg.

"It's not every day you will see a father-son bond that is out of this world but that is what we have got."

Jason Sullivan is an Illawarra rugby league stalwart and some believe he could have played for the Steelers but work and family commitments took priority.

After helping Port Kembla to the reserve grade grand final this season, he played alongside Jayden in the South Coast Black Cockatoos team which won the Koori Knockout in October.

"He didn't get to play that many minutes because of his age but I got to play four games with him and that meant so much to me and my family," Jayden said.

Sullivan is one of nine siblings and he, along with sister Courtney, was raised by his father after their parents separated when he was younger.

"I had a bit of a rough upbringing but that is not anyone's fault and my dad's always been there," he said. "I try not to look backwards. It's like 'Mary' [Dragons coach Paul McGregor] said, 'you can't worry about the past, you have just got to keep moving forward'.

"My family is really important to me and we lived in Port Kembla about three streets away from Coomaditchie where dad grew up. That is always going to be our home, there are a lot of good people in that mission and we'll never not be welcome there."



Five key matchups of the Dragons' 2020 draw

A representative touch and tag player, Sullivan began playing league as a six-year-old for Berkeley and was a member of a star-studded Collegians team which included Bulldogs recruit Aaron Schoup and Sharks SG Ball squad members Jesse Colquhoun, Max Devlin and Thomas Rodwell.

After captaining the Steelers SG Ball team to premiership success and playing five-eighth for St George Illawarra's under 20s Jersey Flegg team, the Wests Devils junior was signed on a three-year contract from 2020.

"We bought him into full-time training when he finished SG Ball earlier this year to try and help him become more physically advanced than most development players," Dragons director of pathways and list management Ian Millward said.

"He was an integral part of our SG Ball team winning the comp as captain and halfback, and he has got one year as a development player and then two years as a member of our top 30.

"If you are asking whether he could play this year I am past saying 'no'. We all get excited if we can develop a really good halfback because halfbacks are your marquee players.

"He has still got a lot of work to do but we look upon him as a long term Dragon and he is part of our succession plan.

"Of our top 36 players, just over 50 per cent have come through our pathways system and over the past four years we have been averaging 3.5 players making their NRL debut with our club so we are developing players for the game."

Sullivan said his goal was to play NRL next season but at just 80kg he is prepared to bide his time until McGregor believes he is ready.

"I am not in a rush. I want to be the most capable I can be, the best body weight and all of that," Sullivan said. "It isn't just about playing well, you have to train good, you have to eat good and do the work to get to that position in the NRL."


https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/12/11/teen-star-tipped-to-be-dragons-best-home-grown-playmaker/
 

BLM01

First Grade
Messages
8,938
sullivanj-dsc_0459.jpg


DRAGONS


Teen star tipped to be Dragons' best home-grown playmaker
Author
Brad Walter NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Wed 11 Dec 2019, 12:01 PM
walterbrad-head.png

Jayden Sullivan has the face of his father Jason tattooed on the back of his leg as a reminder of the influence he has had on the rise of the 18-year-old some believe could become St George Illawarra's best locally produced playmaker.

Sullivan, who grew up in Port Kembla but calls the nearby Coomaditchie Mission "home", is considered an integral part of the Dragons' future as one of eight players signed for at least the next three seasons, along with Ben Hunt, Paul Vaughan, Tariq Sims, Blake Lawrie, Zac Lomax and Jason Saab.

Rookie centre Shaun Sauno-Esau is the other, and like Sullivan the St George junior is on a development contract and yet to make his NRL debut.

That opportunity could come for Sullivan after June 30 if Ben Hunt or Corey Norman are on State of Origin duty but the teen halfback insists he is in no rush as he learns the ropes from the club's likely next captain Cameron McInness, who has been driving him to training most days.

McInness has taken Sullivan under his wing and he is not only learning what is required to play NRL but "just to be a good bloke" from the 25-year-old hooker he described as "the best bloke ever".

"With me being so young anybody older than me is a role model, even the boys who haven't played NRL yet," Sullivan said.

sullivan-dad-kooriknockout.jpg

Jayden Sullivan and his father Jason at the Koori Knockout. :copyright:Facebook
However, there is little doubt who the NSW under 18s representative and captain of last season's SG Ball-winning Illawarra team looks up to most.

"There are too many good words to describe my father," Sullivan said. "He is tattooed on my leg. I have got his face tattooed on the back of my leg.

"It's not every day you will see a father-son bond that is out of this world but that is what we have got."

Jason Sullivan is an Illawarra rugby league stalwart and some believe he could have played for the Steelers but work and family commitments took priority.

After helping Port Kembla to the reserve grade grand final this season, he played alongside Jayden in the South Coast Black Cockatoos team which won the Koori Knockout in October.

"He didn't get to play that many minutes because of his age but I got to play four games with him and that meant so much to me and my family," Jayden said.

Sullivan is one of nine siblings and he, along with sister Courtney, was raised by his father after their parents separated when he was younger.

"I had a bit of a rough upbringing but that is not anyone's fault and my dad's always been there," he said. "I try not to look backwards. It's like 'Mary' [Dragons coach Paul McGregor] said, 'you can't worry about the past, you have just got to keep moving forward'.

"My family is really important to me and we lived in Port Kembla about three streets away from Coomaditchie where dad grew up. That is always going to be our home, there are a lot of good people in that mission and we'll never not be welcome there."



Five key matchups of the Dragons' 2020 draw

A representative touch and tag player, Sullivan began playing league as a six-year-old for Berkeley and was a member of a star-studded Collegians team which included Bulldogs recruit Aaron Schoup and Sharks SG Ball squad members Jesse Colquhoun, Max Devlin and Thomas Rodwell.

After captaining the Steelers SG Ball team to premiership success and playing five-eighth for St George Illawarra's under 20s Jersey Flegg team, the Wests Devils junior was signed on a three-year contract from 2020.

"We bought him into full-time training when he finished SG Ball earlier this year to try and help him become more physically advanced than most development players," Dragons director of pathways and list management Ian Millward said.

"He was an integral part of our SG Ball team winning the comp as captain and halfback, and he has got one year as a development player and then two years as a member of our top 30.

"If you are asking whether he could play this year I am past saying 'no'. We all get excited if we can develop a really good halfback because halfbacks are your marquee players.

"He has still got a lot of work to do but we look upon him as a long term Dragon and he is part of our succession plan.

"Of our top 36 players, just over 50 per cent have come through our pathways system and over the past four years we have been averaging 3.5 players making their NRL debut with our club so we are developing players for the game."

Sullivan said his goal was to play NRL next season but at just 80kg he is prepared to bide his time until McGregor believes he is ready.

"I am not in a rush. I want to be the most capable I can be, the best body weight and all of that," Sullivan said. "It isn't just about playing well, you have to train good, you have to eat good and do the work to get to that position in the NRL."


https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/12/11/teen-star-tipped-to-be-dragons-best-home-grown-playmaker/
Good article except for the one line..where he quoted Mary..OPINOF
(Our future is not our past)...just another twist to one of his famous lines of yesteryear
Although Mc85 likes to refer to the 85 minutes from making a GF a little too often...as he fights his way out of the corner.
He is prepared to wait till Mary believes he is ready.
It will never happen...cause when he is ready...Mary wont be here to make that call.
 

NRLMad

Juniors
Messages
830
Bud is s team player and a clubman.
On Friday Bud helped out at the Matt's and SG trials.
He is doing everything asked of hm and more.
He is building up nicely, started pre season at 84kg and is sitting at 81 now.
Just needs to keep his head straight and not go over the top when he gets $ and fame.
 

Paddles

Juniors
Messages
312
He was incredible in last year's SG Ball GF. Creative long and short kicking game that you could make a highlights reel from, tough runs (eg his first try) and unpredictable ones (his second).

If he's 84 kgs, he should be a full member of the firsts squad - not development - and be supported to compete for a start. Keary, DCE, Moses and similar play at about 85kgs.
 

Forbes Creek Dragons

First Grade
Messages
5,078
He was incredible in last year's SG Ball GF. Creative long and short kicking game that you could make a highlights reel from, tough runs (eg his first try) and unpredictable ones (his second).

If he's 84 kgs, he should be a full member of the firsts squad - not development - and be supported to compete for a start. Keary, DCE, Moses and similar play at about 85kgs.
This is true but pure weight isn’t everything, those guys you mentioned although light are fully developed. He still has a bit of growing to do, and I don’t mind the cautious approach in giving him a bit of a stint in cc first to get him used to that next level up. One confusing thing is with he and Clune on similar contracts who steps in if one of our halves go down early?
 

Forbes Creek Dragons

First Grade
Messages
5,078
If Sullivan remains in the development squad, he can't play before 30 June as I understand
Yeah I understand that, but what halves do we have outside the development squad in the event of an early injury? I’m guessing Sailor maybe would be the man to do the job.
 

Dragonsamy

Bench
Messages
2,882
This is true but pure weight isn’t everything, those guys you mentioned although light are fully developed. He still has a bit of growing to do, and I don’t mind the cautious approach in giving him a bit of a stint in cc first to get him used to that next level up. One confusing thing is with he and Clune on similar contracts who steps in if one of our halves go down early?

Sullys is a longer Development contract
Clune is only 2 year . Clune is much older as well.
 

Dragonsamy

Bench
Messages
2,882
Yeah I understand that, but what halves do we have outside the development squad in the event of an early injury? I’m guessing Sailor maybe would be the man to do the job.

If we have a lot of injuries we can ask for a dispentation and he would be able to play NRL if the NRL cleared it.
But clune would be first cab of the rank
 

George Dragon

Juniors
Messages
1,985
20 stars for 2020 | Jayden Sullivan
Author
Andre Cupido
He’s been earmarked as one of the most brightest young prospects coming out of the Dragons in recent years and there is no doubt that Jayden Sullivan has the makings a Rugby League star in the near-future.

The captain of the Illawarra Steelers UNE SG Ball side, who earned a thrilling premiership triumph in 2019, Sullivan oozes class and his skilful ball playing ability it second-to-none.

In just 11 appearances for the Steelers this year, he recorded 10 tries, 13 try-assists, 10 line-breaks and 11 line-break assists, and put in a stunning performance in the Grand Final to ignite a thrilling second-half comeback over the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.

He played five games for the Dragons in the Jersey Flegg Cup at five-eighth where he laid on two tries in a promising start to his Under-20s tenure.

He has sinced represented the CABE NSW Under 18’s and recently signed a three-year contract with the Red V which will see him start as a development player in 2020 before moving into the club’s Top 30 for at least the next two seasons thereafter.

Dragons Director of Rugby League Pathways and List Management Ian Millward gave a glowing appraisal of Sullivan when the young gun was promoted to the first-grade squad.

"This is a great moment for the Dragons with the signing of Jayden, especially when a number of clubs were in for him. He's an exciting prospect and everyone at the club are really keen to see him make the step up," Millward said.

"Jayden has been in the club's plans for a long period of time and we feel he has all the qualities to be a successful NRL player. He's an outstanding attacking player with a great attitude. He has great vision and is a capable goal kicker as well.”

Sullivan headlines a contingent for rising stars for the Dragons and will certainly use 2020 to lay a foundation for a lengthy and successful Rugby League career in the years to come

https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2020/01/03/20-stars-for-2020--jayden-sullivan/
 

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