Granty
23-05-2006, 11:54 PM
http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,19237718%255E14787,00.html
Sam's solid support
By ADAM GARDINI
24may06
RENOWNED rugby league nursery Kirwan State High School will celebrate its proudest moment when former sports captain Sam Thaiday makes his State of Origin debut for Queensland tonight.
Leading the charge in support of the school's first Origin representative at Telstra Stadium in Sydney tonight will be Thaiday's proud mother Julie and 13-year-old brothers Eli and Auda.
Eli and Auda are following a similar path to that of their older brother - both play rugby league, for the Western Lions under-14s, and also attend Kirwan.
"Eli, who looks a fair bit like Sam, gets sick of being called Sam," Mrs Thaiday said.
"Everyone keeps calling him 'Junior Sam'."
Aside from the new generation of Thaidays attending Kirwan, the Queensland forward's link with his former school has continued during the years after he graduated and joined the Brisbane Broncos in 2002.
Mrs Thaiday recalls how her son struggled with homesickness when he first moved from Townsville to Brisbane to further his rugby league career as an 18-year-old.
However, it was the family of another former Kirwan student Rachel Evans, who was also a sports captain with Thaiday in Year 12, who came to the rescue.
The Evans' had also not long moved to Brisbane and took Thaiday under their wing as he began to settle in.
"He wasn't really ready to leave home and we weren't ready for him to leave," Mrs Thaiday recalled.
"He struggled with being homesick for the first 12 months. Then he moved in with a family that was from Townsville."
Thaiday's former school coach Grant Bell, who has taken leave from his position as head of sport at Kirwan to act as assistant coach with the North Queensland Cowboys this season, recalled Sam as a 'unique talent'.
"He was a team player and a team person," Bell said.
"At high school he was a fantastic leader. The school contributed enormously to him and he contributed equally as well."
Bell said Thaiday's selection for Queensland was a proud moment for the school and provided another example of the success of its sports and rugby league programs.
"I think it is a very proud moment for the school," he said.
"I think it reflects that school football is very strong and that Kirwan runs a terrific program that's really helped him."
After receiving the perfect Mother's Day present with news of Sam's selection, Mrs Thaiday recalled how she had recently been told by a psychic friend she would be going to State of Origin this year.
"I was expecting it might happen but I didn't think Origin I," Mrs Thaiday said.
"Just from what people had been saying about him . . . and a friend of mine who is a psychic.
"She just said she can see us going to Origin this year.
"I don't believe in all that stuff but I might have to change my mind."
While Mrs Thaiday and sons will be in full voice at Telstra Stadium tonight, Thaiday's father Billy won't be able to attend as he continues his studies to become a teacher on Palm Island through the Remote Area Teacher Education Program (RATEP).
Without a television at his current residence on the island though, Mrs Thaiday said her husband would be eager to find one tonight in order to tune in to Sam's big moment.
Sam's solid support
By ADAM GARDINI
24may06
RENOWNED rugby league nursery Kirwan State High School will celebrate its proudest moment when former sports captain Sam Thaiday makes his State of Origin debut for Queensland tonight.
Leading the charge in support of the school's first Origin representative at Telstra Stadium in Sydney tonight will be Thaiday's proud mother Julie and 13-year-old brothers Eli and Auda.
Eli and Auda are following a similar path to that of their older brother - both play rugby league, for the Western Lions under-14s, and also attend Kirwan.
"Eli, who looks a fair bit like Sam, gets sick of being called Sam," Mrs Thaiday said.
"Everyone keeps calling him 'Junior Sam'."
Aside from the new generation of Thaidays attending Kirwan, the Queensland forward's link with his former school has continued during the years after he graduated and joined the Brisbane Broncos in 2002.
Mrs Thaiday recalls how her son struggled with homesickness when he first moved from Townsville to Brisbane to further his rugby league career as an 18-year-old.
However, it was the family of another former Kirwan student Rachel Evans, who was also a sports captain with Thaiday in Year 12, who came to the rescue.
The Evans' had also not long moved to Brisbane and took Thaiday under their wing as he began to settle in.
"He wasn't really ready to leave home and we weren't ready for him to leave," Mrs Thaiday recalled.
"He struggled with being homesick for the first 12 months. Then he moved in with a family that was from Townsville."
Thaiday's former school coach Grant Bell, who has taken leave from his position as head of sport at Kirwan to act as assistant coach with the North Queensland Cowboys this season, recalled Sam as a 'unique talent'.
"He was a team player and a team person," Bell said.
"At high school he was a fantastic leader. The school contributed enormously to him and he contributed equally as well."
Bell said Thaiday's selection for Queensland was a proud moment for the school and provided another example of the success of its sports and rugby league programs.
"I think it is a very proud moment for the school," he said.
"I think it reflects that school football is very strong and that Kirwan runs a terrific program that's really helped him."
After receiving the perfect Mother's Day present with news of Sam's selection, Mrs Thaiday recalled how she had recently been told by a psychic friend she would be going to State of Origin this year.
"I was expecting it might happen but I didn't think Origin I," Mrs Thaiday said.
"Just from what people had been saying about him . . . and a friend of mine who is a psychic.
"She just said she can see us going to Origin this year.
"I don't believe in all that stuff but I might have to change my mind."
While Mrs Thaiday and sons will be in full voice at Telstra Stadium tonight, Thaiday's father Billy won't be able to attend as he continues his studies to become a teacher on Palm Island through the Remote Area Teacher Education Program (RATEP).
Without a television at his current residence on the island though, Mrs Thaiday said her husband would be eager to find one tonight in order to tune in to Sam's big moment.