Cayless desperate to follow in famous father's footsteps
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NSW Under 19 forward Eddy Cayless has opened up on his dream of representing both NSW and New Zealand throughout his career.
The son of former Kiwis captain Nathan Cayless, Eddy is an emerging lock who many expect to follow in his famous father's footsteps.
The 19-year-old played a key role in the Roosters SG Ball premiership earlier this year and will come off the bench in Thursday night's State of Origin Under 19s match at North Sydney Oval.
While he was born in Sydney, Nathan Cayless made the tough decision to represent New Zealand rather than play State of Origin and never had the chance to line up for the Blues.
Every Origin try in Melbourne so far
A recent change to eligibility rules means Eddy doesn't have to pick between the two and he's eager to honour both sides of his heritage during his career.
"It's special to be able to do both," Cayless said. "I grew up here in the Hills. Having family back in New Zealand I want to play for them but I grew up here my whole life and NSW is where I come from.
"I played for the Kiwis Under 17 team so I want to play for them after what my dad did for New Zealand. My grandparents lived there and moved for dad to have a better life. That effect flows down to me so I would like to wear the Kiwis jersey with pride for them."
Match: NSW U19s v QLD U19s
Round 1 -
home Team
NSW U19s
away Team
QLD U19s
Venue: North Sydney Oval, Sydney
North Sydney Oval will host the latest instalment of the Origin Under 19 concept on Thursday night, with the women kicking off proceedings at 5.45pm before the men take the field at 7.45pm.
The match has long been a launchpad to further success and many players across all four teams have been tipped to achieve higher honours in the future.
Cayless won't be the only son of a gun at North Sydney Oval, with Issac Luke's son Adaquix-Jeramiah Watts-Luke in the Queensland squad. James Finegan, the son of former Wallaby Owen Finegan, will also come off the bench for NSW.
Frank Howarth, the younger brother of Storm star Jack Howarth, will start in the back-row for the Maroons, while Ryda Talagi, Blaize Talagi's younger sibling, is set to line up at prop for the Blues.
Cayless has travelled a winding journey to get to this point, the youngster even giving up the sport at one point when his family moved to New Zealand.
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The lock eventually strapped the boots back on as a 16-year-old and he hasn't looked back.
"Dad never forced me to play league," Cayless said. "I started off playing league, soccer, baseball, basically every sport there was. I fell out of love for league and quit for a few years.
"I came back when I was 16 and that's when I picked it up again and really enjoyed it. With baseball it's a team sport but you're out there on your own a lot. With league you're with your mates a couple of times a week and on the weekends hanging out after games.
"We have that mateship in every team and here in camp I've met all these new mates. That's one part I love about league."
Queensland currently hold the Under 19 men's shield after Javon Andrews kicked a sideline conversion in the final minutes to secure a 23-22 victory last year.
The playmaker joined the Wests Tigers earlier this year and has been knocking on the door of an NRL debut.
Javon's got skills
While the Blues squad has totally changed since last season, the loss has been a topic of discussion in camp and Cayless said his side is desperate to win back the shield on Thursday night.
"We did some video earlier this week where we looked at some of those moments we lost and what we can do to improve and bring the shield home," Cayless said.
"It's going to be tough and mentally tough but that's the whole point of the game. That's why you play games like these."
Witness the next generation of NRL and NRLW stars live in the State of Origin Under 19 at North Sydney Oval. Tickets are available from just $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Click here to get yours today.
