Earlier this month, Kobe Bone celebrated his 21st birthday with his family on the Gold Coast. The gathering doubled as a celebration of transcendence.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
For in the nine months that had passed since Bone and his father, Phil, drove from their hometown of Tamworth to North Queensland, Bone had exceeded his expectations by locking down a first-grade starting spot at the Mackay Cutters.
The reward: a new one-year deal with the Hostplus Cup side, which he signed this month, and more invaluable time to push for a deal with an NRL club and take another big step towards realising his dream of playing in the NRL.
"I definitely didn't expect this at all," Bone said of his season, which began in the Cutters' colts side before a mid-season promotion that resulted in the second-rower playing eight first-grade games in what is effectively an NRL reserve-grade competition.
Read more:
Bone's 21st birthday celebration took place after the Cutters' 24-10 loss to the Burleigh Bears on August 12, 2023. A week later, he scored a try in a 38-18 final round win over the Western Clydesdales in Mackay.
It was the Cutters' third win of the season. Only the Ipswich Jets fared worse over the 20-round season.
But while it was a year the Cutters would like to forget, the same clearly does not apply to their young back-rower, who was named in the competition's team of week on one occasion and finished the season with a tackle efficiency of almost 96 per cent.
"I definitely feel a lot more mature," Bone said of his development over the past nine months.
"I feel like I've grown a bit more into my body. I understand the game a bit more. I now understand how to be a semi-professional athlete and be able to perform week in, week out."
The 2022 North Tamworth premiership winner aims to stay fit in the off-season ahead of pre-season training for the new season, when competition for spots at the Cutters will intensify.
In 2024, contracted Cowboys will once again play for Mackay, after that longstanding practice was suspended this year (they only played for the Townsville Blackhawks).
"So it just makes it a lot tougher for myself to be able to keep my position," Bone said. "But that's a challenge that I'm ready to accept."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark northerndailyleader.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
Mark Bode
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
