NRL Fantasy coaches were cursing his off night with the boot more than his Brisbane Broncos teammates but there is even further pressure on Corey Parker's goal-kicking now with a charity initiative between the Broncos and NRMA Insurance.
NRMA kicked off their Try for the Better campaign in unique fashion in Brisbane on Monday with Broncos players Corey Parker and Adam Blair invited to kick goals into the Brisbane River to raise funds for Queensland community initiatives.
In conjunction with the Broncos, NRMA are hoping to raise $80,000 for community initiatives over the course of the season and they will donate $250 for every try scored by the Broncos this season. If Parker – or whoever has the goal-kicking duties at the time – can turn four points into six, NRMA will double their donation to $500.
Parker had an uncustomary poor night against the Eels last Thursday, landing only one goal from four attempts, but is happy to accept the extra pressure for the sake of charity.
"It does put a bit more pressure on me with the money going towards charities," admitted Parker, who also has the extra responsibility of the captaincy in 2016.
"The campaign [NRMA] have started with us now is fantastic. They are going to be donating $250 for every try and $500 for every goal at Suncorp Stadium and the money will go towards a local community initiative program."
One of the beneficiaries of the campaign will be the Beyond the Broncos program, an initiative between the Broncos and the Australian Federal Government, which aims to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students between years 10-12 with educational support.
Retired Broncos legend Justin Hodges is now actively working with the Beyond the Broncos program and said support from companies such as NRMA will make a significant difference in the lives of young Indigenous people.
"With this type of support from NRMA Insurance, Broncos Indigenous Program Support Officers like me and staff working with the program can further assist students stay in school and complete their secondary studies," Hodges said.
"Through supporting these initiatives, NRMA Insurance is also assisting to ensure young Indigenous people in Queensland have all the essential tools to continue into tertiary education after high school or pursue their career pathways."
For more information on the NRMA Try for the Better initiative visit www.nrmatryforthebetter.com.au.
