“Glimpses of freakishness” - that’s how Hull KR forward Jai Whitbread recalls his time playing alongside many of the Brisbane Broncos stars he will oppose in the World Club Challenge.
Whitbread's recollections of the period afterwards? Rain, cold, losses, homesickness.
“It’s funny how rugby league works with the nuances and the full circles and things like that,” Whitbread, 28, tells NRL.com, ahead of the world title bout at MKM Stadium.
“Players you play with that you sort of never think you’d play with again or play against again - it’s funny but I’m excited. It’s gonna be unreal.”
Our story starts in the Brisbane under 20s Holden Cup team of 2016 and 2017.
Broncos’ Test star Patrick Carrigan recalls: “I started at the Broncos when I was in Year 12 ... and Jai was at TSS (The Southport School) and I was at Gregory Terrace, and we actually went in and started training together … (before) we had a couple of years in 20s together.”
Whitbread added: “Our U20s team was Patty Carrigan, Payno (Payne Haas), Gehemet (Shibasaki), Katoni (Staggs) … Looking back, we knew we had a star-studded team. A lot of boys were making rep sides and stuff like that, but it’s probably not guaranteed.
“We made the finals one year. The best we did was semis. It was a tough competition, the NYC, but yeah you had, like, a lot of the boys showing the potential.
“There were definitely glimpses of freakishness in that side, yeah.”
Whitbread went on to play 30 NRL games for Gold Coast between 2018 and 2021 before jetting off to pastures new - Leigh, then Wakefield.
“It was very difficult at the start,” he admits. “I came over to teams that were struggling and I didn’t know what to expect. I had this idea and it wasn’t really what I was being faced with.
“We weren’t doing too well and the weather was like … it does play its role too when you’re from the Gold Coast where in winter it’s 20 degrees.”
While doors were opening for his former team-mates on the other side of the world, Whitbread felt like his were closing in his face - or being left only slightly ajar.
“But just persistence … I’ve always relied on work ethic as a player and whenever things get hard I just try and fall back on that.
“That got me out of some struggling sides and I got noticed by KR, and they showed faith in me and valued what I had to bring as a player and I guess that sort of lit another spark inside me.
“The last couple of years here have been the most enjoyable of my career. It helps when you’re winning but when you’re in an organisation that’s values line up with yours as a player, it’s massive.”
Asked if he had Thursday night's game circled in his diary, Whitbread laughs.
“I got married in the off-season and had a few things that I had circled before that," he said.
“I met my partner (Lauren) over here too. She’s massive too, away from footy, in keeping me busy, grounded, instilling some techniques to deal with homesickness and things like that.
“Genuinely, it’s made my career so far. Like, it’s been the best decision I’ve made for my career, hands down."
Carrigan, Shibasaki and Staggs are making their second visit to the British Isles in five months after their involvement in Australia’s 3-0 Ashes whitewash.
But Test results have historically been little indication of the balance of power in the WCC. Whitbread has a theory on why.
“You’re in that team environment with your club for such a long period of time, you probably have better combos and know people a bit more whereas in the international game, it’s the best of the best and they’re only together for so long,” he reasons.
“You can only create combinations whereas we’re in day-in, day-out throughout the year and you develop bonds that are hardened and you know how each other plays and you know that we’re all pulling towards the same thing.
The prestige of the World Club Challenge
“The atmosphere here will probably be much bigger than what they experienced in the Ashes.
“Just because there’ll be a lot of KR fans with it being in Hull, you’d like to think the odds will be stacked against them, fan-wise.
“I think the atmosphere will probably play more than the conditions for sure.”
Whitbread and Carrigan remain close. Other members of the U20s team have drifted apart a bit but stay in touch.
“He moved over here and I haven’t seen him in ages,” Shibasaki said. “It will be good to see him after the game, have a yarn and catch up.”
Carrigan says: “I think he’s converted to Pom now. He’s married here, happy and I think he’s here to stay.”
