Charlie Parsons: Werris Creek Magpies teen won't be taking it easy in the off-season

So, when the current Group 4 season ends in September, the Werris Creek prop will train with three of his father's friends at Quirindi during the off-season, in a bid to become an 80-minute footballer.

The three friends are fitness fanatics, and include his father's former Knights teammate Luke Quigley.

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Parsons' long-term goal for improving is fitness is to test himself in the Newcastle competition. Having recently turned 19, he would like to do that in a couple of years.

"I'll just stick around here for my [diesel mechanic] apprenticeship to weigh it up," said the roughly 195cm and 110kg forward. "But, obviously, footy's a big thing in my life. So yeah, I wanna keep playing good football."

He continued: "I can still play football here for the next couple of years, and then move down there [the Hunter] and play football."

His father notched up 106 games at prop for the Knights in the early 2000s, and was part of their 2001 premiership-winning team. But being the son of Matt Parsons "doesn't get you in[to]" a side, said the second eldest of Matt's three boys.

He explained: "You've still gotta play good football. You've still gotta be tough. It's not a walk in the park."

Parsons - who works at Tamworth and lives at home in Werris Creek - was knocked out during the Magpies' 30-28 home defeat of Narrabri last round, and will miss Saturday's clash against the Cowboys at Dungowan.

The Magpies are in eighth place, six points behind fourth-placed Kootingal-Moonbi.

Parsons said: "Knocking Narrabri off the top of the table, that obviously shows that we can be there [the finals] - and we will be there."

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