FROM DOLPHIN TO DRAGON: Culburra’s Adam Quinlan in action for the St George Illawarra Dragons.
NOWRA Bomaderry Jets Football Club first grade coach Chris Quinlan believes it’s something in the water out at Culburra Beach, others attribute it to Quinlan’s coaching, but whatever the reason the Shoalhaven seaside town has produced a lot of football talent over the years.
On Saturday night at the annual NRL charity shield match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the St George Illawarra Dragons at ANZ Stadium two former Culburra Primary School students and Culburra Dolphins players will go head to head.
Dylan Farrell will take to the field for the Rabbitohs while Adam Quinlan will pull on the famous Red V for the Dragons.
Farrell is no stranger to first grade NRL action; the 21-year-old has been a regular member of the Bunnie’s squad since he scored a hat-trick of tries on debut against the West Tigers early last season.
But for Adam Quinlan, Saturday night’s match will be the biggest of his blossoming career so far. After being signed to the under 20s Dragons squad last year Quinlan made the most
of a mid-season call-up cementing his position as fullback by scoring with 16 tries through the remainder of the season.
Over at the West Tigers camp another former Culburra junior, Jack Buchanan, is living his dream. The 21-year-old prop made his first grade NRL debut against Parramatta last Saturday night after receiving a last minute call up to the NRL side following the withdrawal of regular prop
Matt Bell.
Wests Tigers captain Robbie Farah was impressed with Buchanan’s commitment.
“Jack is a young kid who has trained really well all pre-season, he has got a
big future ahead of him,’’ Farah said.
“Being called up to replace Belly was a big occasion for him but he can proud of his effort. He held his own.”
One man who knows all three players well is Chris Quinlan. As well as being Adam’s father the man known affectionately as Bat was blessed to have all three boys in the Culburra schoolboy side he coached during the mid 1990s. All three were also playing for the Culburra Dolphins junior rugby league team at the same time.
“That was a good little team,” Quinlan said speaking of the schoolboy side.
“We won the local competition followed by the zone competition before we headed to Sydney to
compete against the best primary school teams in the state where we finished third.”
Quinlan said that while the three were great players the team was full of quality.
“To be truthful, there was probably players in that side that showed more promise than those three. Don’t get me wrong the three boys were great little players, but that team had some real talent in it.”
Quinlan said he will
defiantly be sideline on Saturday night to watch Dylan and Adam go head
to head.
“I asked my old mate Steve Mortimer for a couple of tickets and he organised 10 for me so the whole
family are heading up there to watch the match and
we will probably catch up with Adam after the game,” he said.
“I think he (Adam) will have a strong game,
he played well against Queensland last weekend and set up a couple of
good tries.”
