Doing it for Yak: Friend's fighting spirit inspires Dolphins duo

Dolphins duo Kurt Donoghoe and Jack Bostock have extra motivation driving them through the club’s historic finals campaign, with the bravery of a close friend inspiring them to make each moment matter.

They pair have seen the unwavering resolve and fight of Jacek 'Yak' McLaurin, whose life was irrevocably changed while playing in a trial match earlier this year for Burleigh Bears. The outside back was involved in a tackle that went tragically wrong, landing on his head.

He was airlifted to hospital, where it was confirmed he sustained a catastrophic, life-changing spinal injury, where he had no feeling from the shoulders down, including fractures to his C4 and C5 vertebrae.

After undergoing two major surgeries, he is now overseas receiving treatment and provides raw and honest updates on his social media about his progress – and sometimes lack thereof – and the challenges he continues to face.

Speaking before their preliminary final showdown with the Roosters, the pair shared how their friend had helped inspire them all season. 

“He inspires me a lot, he definitely motivates me,” Donoghoe told NRL.com.

“What he's gone through, it'd be so hard.

“To see him keep fighting and how strong he's been, it just makes me want to do the same and just keep fighting for success and for greatness.

“I've got another friend that's been in a similar boat, had a bad injury, he would have liked to be playing footy – and I've had a few actually – and just for everyone that has gone down a path like that, it inspires me to just do what I can do because I'm very grateful to be where I am.

“Whenever I play, that's why I try to play every game like it's my last and just try not to ever get too comfortable, because it could all be taken away from me within a minute.”

Bostock first met the McLaurin family when he and Jacek were Shellharbour Stingrays juniors together and the friendship has continued ever since.

“It's definitely something I've carried with me for this season,” Bostock said.

“What's happened to him was obviously very, very upsetting for everyone, especially him.

“Going from what he was doing, playing rugby league and doing everything to have that completely taken away from him in a matter of seconds.

“It's pretty upsetting and just to see how strong he is and what he can do, still now for us, he's overseas getting treatment and doing his rehab, but we still catch-up on phone calls every now and then, we chat for hours, and he's so proud of what me and Kurt and also Plathy [Max Plath] are doing at the Dolphins.

“He's met a lot of the boys here through living up here as well, and he's super proud of us, so we just want (to do him proud).