Jaxson Collins, a 14-year-old from the Gold Coast, is being hailed as one of Australia's most promising young rugby league talents. The son of a Welsh father, Ross, Jaxson has already caught the attention of five NRL clubs and has a clear ambition to play in the NRL.
Rugby League Journey
Jaxson attends Keebra Park State High School, a renowned rugby league school that has produced 82 NRL players, including Benji Marshall and Reece Walsh. He is a member of five NRL academies: Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast Titans, Dolphins, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
He has also been selected for the South Coast Rugby League representative team for the third consecutive year and has played for Gold Coast Cyclones Rugby Union and Queensland Rugby Union.
Ambition and Strengths
“My long-term goal is to be one of the best players in rugby league in the NRL,” Jaxson said. “I’m determined to make it. I’ve got to keep up the hard work and hopefully I’ll get there.”
He plays second-row/lock in league and back row or inside centre in union. His strengths, he says, are his line running, defence, and effort. He admires Brisbane Broncos player Patrick Carrigan, describing himself as a similar type of player.
Family Sacrifice
His parents, Ross and Lori, have made significant sacrifices to support his dream, including long hours on the road for training. Ross explained that each academy has monthly training sessions, and the travel can be extensive, with the Dolphins being the furthest at three to four hours away.
“The year you turn 15 you are allowed to legally get signed by a club like the Broncos or the Gold Coast Titans,” Ross said. “Next year in January we will look to get Jaxson signed up to one of these five clubs.”
Pressure Performance
Jaxson has already shown his ability under pressure. In the Under-13 Division 1 Grand Final for his club Burleigh, he kicked a 43-metre penalty goal on the full-time siren to win the premiership. More recently, he scored two tries in the Queensland Schools Rugby League Broncos Cup Grand Final, helping Keebra Park win.
“Last year in the U13s grand final for my club we got a penalty right on the buzzer from 43 metres out,” he said. “It was probably 15 metres from the sideline and the fans were all yelling. There was heaps of pressure on me but I got it to win the game.”
Wales Connection
While the NRL is his primary goal, Jaxson has not ruled out playing for Wales, his father's country. “Yeah, I’d play for Wales,” he said, though he hopes to be playing for the Broncos in 10 years.
His father, Ross, has a dream of his own: “I would love for Jaxson to go home on a gap year and play in Wales. My mother has never been out to Australia so I’d love Jaxson to be able to play a local game in front of my mum. I’d love it if Jaxson played for Wales in the future. That would be very special.”
