“It’s good for us to come out here and put some smiles on these guys’ faces.”

Rabbitoh’s star fullback Latrell Mitchell certainly did just that on Wednesday 8 November, when he and five other National Rugby League Women’s Premiership (NRLW) and National Rugby League (NRL) stars came out to host a coaching clinic in Coonamble.

After two days in Dubbo and Gilgandra, Caitlin Moran (Newcastle Knights), Caitlin Johnston (Newcastle Knights), Braydon Trindall (Cronulla Sharks), Latrell Mitchell (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Jarome Luai (Penrith Panthers), and Coonamble local Jesse Ramien (Cronulla Sharks) all came out to spend some time in our community.

The day was organised in partnership with sports management group Black Money Enterprises, the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Fair Dinkum Choices, Winmarra, Bila Muuji Aboriginal Corporation, and of course the Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service.

The players were taking the trip out west to promote “healthy choices”, whether that be exercise, diet, mental health, social health, or emotional health.

The event was limited to one hundred Indigenous children aged between 12 and 16, and proved to be in high demand with the one hundred spots filling up just four days after the event was advertised.

Before the clinic at the Coonamble Sportsground at 10 am, the players visited Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service, where they toured the facility and met with the staff.

They then headed off to the Coonamble High School (CHS) for a 45 minute meet and greet with students and teachers, with many taking the opportunity to grab a snap with their hero or get a pair of boots or a jersey signed.

While most of the players have either grown up in or spent a lot of time in rural communities, for NSW and Penrith Panther Five-Eighth Jarome Luai was on his first real trip out west.

“It’s good to be working with the kids,” said Mr Luai.

Jarome Luai with high school students from the Coonamble High School

“I haven’t spent a lot of time out in rural Australia, it’s good to come out with Black Money Enterprises and the rest of the players and do something for the communities.

“The community and the family connection out here is great.”

After the players visited CHS they then packed up and got ready for the free clinic at the sportsground.

Nevaeh, Harper and Amarleigh

After a welcome to country from Josh Toole’s dance troupe and local NRL players Braydon Trindall and Jesse Ramien, the clinic got underway.

The one hundred lucky young people were split up into groups of twenty five and sent off to four different stations where the NRL stars targeted different aspects of rugby league, whether it be passing, running, or communication.

The session finished at 1pm, just ahead of a downpour merely minutes after everything was packed up.

Fresh off a premiership with the Knights, both the Caitlins were enjoying some time off away from work and football.

“It’s great to have some time off and to come out and do something for kids in rural communities,” said Ms Moran.

“Being from Newcastle which is a little city, it’s nice to be out here, the pace and comfortability of life is nice,” said Ms Johnson.

“It’s good just to get out and into the rural communities.”

CEO of Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service Phil Naden said he couldn’t be happier with how the day went.

“It’s been amazing,” said Mr Naden.

“The calibre of engagement we’ve seen between the communities and the players has been great.”

“It’s so good to have current NRL and NRLW players out here, in the past we’ve had retired players come out, but it’s good to have these players that the kids really look up to and that are in their primes coming out.”

”Programs like this build up the social, emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing as well.”