HE’S already enjoyed the sort of season most rugby league talents dream of, but come Tuesday things will get even better for Noah Griffiths.
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That is when the talented Bathurst halfback will make his NSW Country debut and it will come against a Papua New Guinea national outfit.
He will carry with him the confidence of being presented with the Ron Lanesbury Medal last Friday night for his notable performances with the under 16s Western Rams in the Andrew Johns Cup.
That was a huge honour given the talents who competed in that competition, players such as St Pat’s talent and now NSW Country fullback Tyler Colley.
“I was shocked at the start. Obviously it was good to get it, it’s a great feeling to get it,” he said.
“All the best players from Country Rugby League are in it, there is heaps of talent around in that comp, so it’s pretty good to get that award.
“I was just trying to play my best footy and trying to enjoy it. Then to get this award to come along with it, it’s a pretty good feeling.”
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It was back in April when Griffiths was part of the Rams side which won the Andrew Johns Cup, scoring a try in the 22-10 grand final victory over Illawarra. He then won the players’ player award for that side.
In July he scored the final try of a clash at Suncorp Stadium to help the NSW Blues to a 28-14 win over Queensland.
Then last month in Group 10 under 18s grand final, the playmaker scored a try and booted two goals to help Bathurst Panthers to glory over Orange CYMS.
On top of that, he also signed a he signed a four-year deal with the Melbourne Storm at the start of 2018.
“From the start of the year just going down to Melbourne and learning off them I’ve improved. Then going through the New South Wales pathways then the Country Rugby League pathways, yeah, it’s gone to another level this year,” Griffiths said of his game.
Now he is looking to cap off an already massive year with success against Papua New Guinea on Tuesday in Lismore and against the Gold Coast Titans on Saturday at Cudgen.
He and Colley join Orange’s Mason Pollack and Josh Dominello, Wellington’s Rylee Blackhall, Forbes talent Jack Hartwig and Red Bend’s Jack Smith in the Country side.
“Even just saying stuff like you’re playing PNG and the Gold Coast Titans that gets you pretty excited. Playing against PNG – they’re a national side – so that’s going to be pretty good,” Griffiths said.
“It would be good to finish off the year on two highs hopefully. Every team you go into at this stage you just want to develop yourself and learn new things off the coaching staff and other boys.
“To me the jersey it’s just as important as the other ones, every rep jersey is great, it’s good for me to make as many rep teams as I can.”
