News Bulldogs fend off Roosters and Rabbitohs to sign champion North Queensland prop Damon Marshall

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Townsville rugby league prospect Damon Marshall has knocked back offers from the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs to sign a two-year contract with the Bulldogs.
After graduating from Ignatius Park College in 2021, the Western Lions junior took a huge step in his career this week when he secured his place in Belmore.

Lions A Grade coach Jacob Bourke said Marshall had the right mindset to make it all the way to the NRL.

“He’s obviously got the talent. He’s a freak of a player, he has a freak stature on him, but probably the best thing about him is his mindset,” Bourke said.



“He’s a fitness freak, he wins nearly all of our sessions if not every single one of them and I know he wins a lot of the Blackhawks sessions as well.

“He’s an old-school front rower with a lot of speed and a lot of fitness, I think he’ll relish it there and hopefully we see him in the Jersey Flegg and then the NRL in a couple of years.”

Marshall was a standout for the Lions in A Grade and Blackhawks in 2022, coming off a season where he led the Blackhawks to the Queensland championship in the Mal Meninga Cup.

The news comes after Marshall’s Ignatius Park teammate and Cowboys squad member Tom Duffy rejected overtures from the same club, insisting he wanted to stay in Townsville with the Cowboys.

 
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Noice
 
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This articles from 26th May 2020

Ignatius Park footballers return from COVID-19 break fitter and faster than before



THEY are tearing at the seams to get back on the field, and Ignatius Park College coach Steve Lansley can’t wait to unleash his latest crop of league heavyweights.
Rugby league nurseries across Queensland were given a July 29 start date for state competitions, which includes the Aaron Payne Cup.

After bowing out of the competition early last season, Lansley is determined to get back to the top. And he believes he has the crop to do it.

It is the youngest age group that excites the coach the most, with the Cup’s late start date allowing Ignatius Park’s 16-year-olds to be ripe for the charge.

There is one that has blown the coach away, boom forward Damon Marshall.

The prop returned to training with his teammates last week in top shape despite a long lockdown. The squad of 24 has been broken into three groups as the school works within the social distancing guidelines.



“I think he is one of the best 16-year-olds if not in the state, certainly in North Queensland,” Lansley said. “He will definitely come into our team for the Cup. He is a big, strong forward and he is fearless. We will have no concerns with him, he will step up and do the job for us.

“We have got some really good talent coming through that age group. The thing about the dates and the way kids develop, as we push it back in the year, it gives those younger boys a little more time to mature and develop.”

But Marshall was not the only player to come back in good condition after Lansley developed a strength and fitness program for each player during their lockdown at home.


“We are really pleased with the way they looked after themselves (while at home),” he said.

“They came back looking better than when they left.

“I think that was determination to want to get better. They have worked hard. Our conditioning (since they have been back) has been hard and I have been really impressed with them.”

While a line has already been drawn through a defence of their Confraternity Shield glory, it won’t stop the players in the Ignatius Park top squad from putting in the hard yards ahead of a challenge for the Aaron Payne Cup.

But they will not be expecting smooth sailing through the competition, with reigning champions Kirwan State High and rivals St Brendan’s, Yeppoon standing in their way.

“I honestly believe it will be a really strong competition this year. All the 16s in the Aaron Payne Cup will be strong and they will all be wound up,” Lansley said.

www.townsvillebulletin.com.au

Townsville Bulletin

Townsville Bulletin
www.townsvillebulletin.com.au www.townsvillebulletin.com.au
 
Menteek

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It’s great to see what a man like Gus can do when our board lets him run the team and get all these potential players to our club. All while continuing to setup pathways. His 5 year plan seems to be hitting its straps real quick. Can’t even remember the last time we had so much articles surrounding our club nabbing juniors
 
Mitch Connor

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Looks identical to Fifita.

Apparently he had a real bad spinal injury at the start of last season? Clearly hasn’t affected him long term. Built like a brick shithouse.
 
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