If Cody Parry fulfils his goal of becoming an NRL player, like his elder brother Ethan, he would no doubt look back fondly on this period in his life: all the difficulties he has experienced, and is still experiencing, extinguished by time and success.
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The 15-year-old is in the midst of a major transition - swapping the familiarity and reassurance of family life in Tamworth, and school life at Farrer, with the jolting reality of a new existence in Parramatta as he negotiates the second year of a four-year deal at the Eels.
Cody moved to the city for the start of the new school year and for the start of the Harold Matthews Cup season - the latter now halted because of coronavirus. He is in year 10 at Parramatta Marist High.
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Living in "Parramatta House" with a host of fellow young Eels, the strapping centre's introduction to his current reality has been challenging: a hip flexor injury meant he missed the start of the season, while adjusting to this environment, away from most of his family, has exacerbated his burden.
However, the 2019 Australian Schoolboys under-15 representative scored a try on debut and started at right centre in the Eels' past three matches, before the competition was suspended. (As with a host of NSWRL comps, it has been halted until at least May 31.)
The Eels are second on the ladder, with five wins and a loss.
"The first couple of games I was a bit rusty trying to settle into a new team," Cody said. "But now I'm starting to get a groove, getting a bit more game fit."
He has reset the clock for his rugby league journey, believing that it started again when he relocated to Parramatta. He described the transformation as "massive".
"It is difficult. But I'm getting around now, making some more friends. So, it's getting better."
He added: "The goal and dream was always to play NRL one day. So, this is what you have to do to do that. You've got to do these things and knuckle down ... It's hard, and it's a long journey, too."
Cody has put on six kilograms since relocating, and now weighs 93kg. He stands about 188 centimetres, and has clocked 11.9 seconds for 100 metres.
"All you do is eat and workout, basically," he said of being at Parra. He added: "You've got school work to juggle too. It is hard ... Don't get me wrong: Farrer is a good school, but this is just next level."
Making the transition easier is Ethan, the promising Parramatta outside back who turned 21 on Friday, and who also signed with the Eels at age 15 and then moved from Tamworth to the big smoke.
Ethan has long been touted as a future star, his NRL debut last year marked by a memorable try against Manly at Brookvale. He scored again the following round against the Warriors in Auckland, but has not played another NRL game.
The Leader reported this month that he was open to offers from other clubs. He comes off contract this year.
Getting to see his brother more often is one of the pluses of Cody's move. "He's a good mentor," the teen said of Ethan. "Everything I'm going through now, he's been through. So, he knows what he's talking about when he gives me advice."
