Canterbury Bulldogs forward Jack Underhill has shared the deeply emotional story behind a deliberately misspelled tattoo on his torso, which he unveiled ahead of his NRL debut. The 21-year-old, who became Bulldog number 880 last weekend when he took the field against Cronulla, revealed the ink to his teammates during a heartfelt conversation.
A Mother's Final Gift
Underhill lost his mother, Renee, to cancer when he was just seven years old. Before her passing, she wrote him cards to open on every birthday until he turned 20. Each card was signed off with the words 'dream, believe, suceed' — a deliberate misspelling of 'succeed' that has now become a permanent tribute on his body.
'This was my first one (birthday) that I never got one,' Underhill told his Bulldogs teammates last week, visibly emotional. 'In every note she had at the bottom… "dream, believe, suceed". It's what this tattoo is. It's the same as my sister's. But succeed is spelled wrong. That's how she spelled it.'
Outpouring of Support
Footy fans flooded social media with messages of support after Underhill's moving speech. 'How beautiful. Mums are the best. She would be so proud of her son,' one supporter commented. 'Made me cry. What a magnificent mum and a wonderful young man,' another wrote. A third added, 'This gave me goosebumps. She would be so proud of him.'
Debut Performance
Underhill, a Kawana Dolphins junior from the Sunshine Coast, made his NRL debut off the bench for the Bulldogs at Magic Round, recording four runs and 22 tackles in his first taste of top-flight rugby league. 'Just a kid with a dream,' he posted on social media after the game.
The 21-year-old is regarded as one of the most exciting prospects at the Bulldogs. He was named man of the match in Canterbury's 2024 Jersey Flegg premiership-winning side and is contracted at Belmore until the end of the 2028 season.
Future Star
A front-rower with a commanding presence in the middle of the field, Underhill joined teammate Jack Todd in signing a contract extension in February. Canterbury general manager of football Phil Gould praised the duo at the time: 'These are two of the brightest prospects at the club. They arrived at the club as boys looking for an opportunity, and they have grown into fine men who represent the Bulldogs in a dignified and professional manner. They have put in the hard work and are now ready to reap the rewards. These two are NRL players of the future.'
