Blake Clout: Tamworth Magpies centre primed for another season

"Spot on, probably," the Magpies favourite replied, when asked if the buzz he got from driving the V8 ute for the first time was similar to the buzz he got from making his top-grade rugby debut.

Six years after that auspicious moment in his rugby evolution, the hard-running centre is at the start of another season with a club that has been instrumental in his development as a man.

Clout works hard on the training paddock and in games and at Thrift Plumbing. He saved his money and bought his dream car.

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"Pretty red-hot," he said of the first time he drove the poison-ivy Maloo, a Holden collectable that cost more than he wanted to pay when he bought it at the end of last year. "But it is what it is," he added.

The 26-year-old was back in action at a wet Rugby Park on Saturday afternoon when Gunnedah beat Tamworth 17-10, ahead of the New England rugby season commencing on April 23.

The match followed the Magpies' 38-15 win over Sydney subbies club Brothers the previous weekend.

"It wasn't too bad," Clout said of the side's performance against Gunnedah. "I thought we did quite well, considering they're one of the top teams in the Central North comp."

"We're going rather well," he added, "because we started training before December. We're starting to gel quite well."

Clout was at McCarthy Catholic College when he first laced up for Tamworth, starting in under-16s. He said the club had "a family atmosphere" that "keeps young players coming through" the ranks.

The club's determination to win their debut New England premiership fits nicely with a key element of Clout's personality: determined is one of the three words he chose to describe himself, along with honest and easygoing.

Clout has been in a relationship with Abbey Truman for almost five years. They hooked up when his friend and her friend became a couple.

"I'm lucky: she can only drive an automatic," he said, in reference to his manual-transmission Maloo. "She's not too fond of a manual."

On top of knowing that her man won't let another soul drive his car, Truman would also be aware that he gets on with life.

"When you're down, keep getting up and rolling with the punches," Clout said of the most important lesson life has taught him, which he learned from watching movies.

"If the day's going tough, just take a few deep breaths and go again," he also said, adding that he is most happy "sort of every day".

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