'Not just father and son, we are teammates': Cannanes to create World Cup history

“It was like a light bulb had switched on in the back of my head, the breath was taken away from me and all of a sudden I had rugby league back in my life”.

Craig Cannane still gets emotional as he recalls the moment he first witnessed Wheelchair Rugby League more than a decade ago, and the impact that the game has had on him and his relationship with son, Corey.

The Cannanes are set to become the first father and son to represent Australia together at a World Cup and both admit they may not have made the Wheelaroos squad for the upcoming tournament in England without the help of the other.

After narrowly missing out on the 2017 Wheelchair World Cup in France, Corey was challenged by Craig to push harder to earn selection for the 2021 tournament, which was postponed until this year.

“We had a conversation and Dad asked if I was ready to step up and work towards making the Australian team with him, so we worked hard to make it together,” Corey said.

As the leading tryscorer in the NSW Wheelchair Rugby League competition with the St George Illawarra Dragons for each of the past four seasons, Corey could not be denied his spot in the Wheelaroos squad.

However, with Craig now being 50 years of age there was the possibility that Corey would be selected but his father missed a third World Cup.

“Corey’s really been training me up since the last World Cup,” Craig said. “He just missed out on playing so he had to make the choice there and then; either just cruise along and accept it or we put our heads down and we go for it.

“Realistically, he only had to push that bit more because he had only just missed out, but the key was that if he wanted me to do it with him, he was going to have to push me.

“We train together, we are in the gym together, we do a lot of medicine ball, boxing, weights, I do swimming and he does his own thing. He has got me there really. He was already there himself. He just had to keep me going with him.”

Shared passion

Corey, 26, was first drawn to Wheelchair Rugby League for an opportunity to play with his father.

The pair would watch NRL matches together and shared a passion for the game, but with Craig becoming a paraplegic after a motorbike accident at the age of 19 they never imagined they would be able to play sport together.

Craig would support Corey from the sidelines in his junior matches for the East Hills Bulldogs, while Corey would watch Craig play in the National Wheelchair Basketball League.

However, a defining moment in their lives occurred when a friend took Craig to watch a game of Wheelchair Rugby League in 2011.

“This was a new game that the English and French had introduced, and they were establishing a comp here,” Craig said. “Within five minutes I was like, ‘sign me up. I’m in’.

"I had played rugby league from 10 years old up until my accident and I never thought I would play it again.

“Rugby league had been my life. If wasn’t playing it, I was at Henson Park or Leichhardt Oval watching the great old teams like Newtown and Balmain.

"It was everything for me and it was taken away, but I still enjoyed watching it and I went to games. I loved it with a passion, but I had to adapt to something else and basketball was a team sport.

"Once rugby league came back there was no turning back and the way this sport was set up to be inclusive is just fantastic. That is why it belongs to rugby league.

"With wheelchair basketball there is no avenue for any able-bodied person to play but people like myself – disabled and in a wheelchair – can play with their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends - and they can even think about playing together at a higher level.”

Winning combination

Corey decided to play Wheelchair Rugby League after watching Craig win the 2013 grand final and the following season they achieved premiership glory together.

The father-and-son pairing have also been key members of the Dragons side that won four consecutive grand finals before losing this year’s decider and they have also played State of Origin together.

“I just found the game through dad,” Corey said. “I have always loved rugby league and me and dad always watched rugby league together so it was good when he started playing and we realised I could play with him.

“I played footy from a young age and there was one year when I played both but then I went over to Wheelchair Rugby League and stopped playing the running game.

“Being able to play with my dad is awesome. We have been playing together for a really long time now and to achieve what we have is an amazing feeling.

"To be able to go to the World Cup alongside him and be on the court together over there is going to be incredible.”

Craig isn’t sure if he will make it to a fourth World Cup in France in 2025 but the chance to pull on a green-and-gold jersey alongside his son is something he never thought was possible before that “light-bulb” moment when he was introduced to Wheelchair Rugby League.

“What it has done is create an even bigger bond of love between us - not just the love we have for each other but also the love that we have for rugby league,” Craig said.

“We’re not just a father and son, we’re team-mates now - and mates. We share a lot of love for a lot of things so we are very fortunate and happy and excited about what’s to come in front of us.”