The former Senior Sergeant left the Isa in 2005 after several years in charge of the local police station, a stint with Xstrata Zinc as well as successfully marshalling the Townies' troops.

White reflects: "It was a terrific time in my life and family's lives".

"Mount Isa was very good to me, and also very good to my family.

"We love the town and we have many good friends and great memories and I'd have to say, Mount Isa definitely had a big influence on my life and where I am now."

White arrived with his family in January 2002, after receiving a promotion. It was here White believes his life changed for the better.

"I learnt a lot about leadership and management in my time running the police station than any other job I've taken on," he said.

"It was challenging but I had really great staff and found the community really supportive of the police force if you got involved in the town."

White chuckled as he reminiced on the abundance of memories created in the Isa.

"There are a few incidents which stick in the memory, none I'm prepared to talk about," he joked.

When he wasn't enforcing the law, he was acting as the enforcer on the footy field, leading Townies to several preimerships as captain-coach.

"I was probably 35 at the time, so I wasn't that keen to play," he admitted.

"I started playing halfway through my first year here, but because I was a police officer as well as coach, the opposition got stuck into me which was always good fun.

"It was a really great club and I actually miss the fact that the Townies clubhouse is no longer there. We had some great times socially with some great people."

It's rugby league that brought him back to the Isa for Saturday's NRL trial.

White spoke of the importance of heritage at the club, as he instilled methodology he preached into his own players.

"I've never forgotten where I came from and I never will forget where I came from," he said

"That's something I try and bring into my role at the Broncos...we're fortunate that we recruit young players from all over Queensland and a lot of them have similar stories from country towns.

"We just have to keep them grounded and make sure they don't forget where they are from."

Fellow Isan Scott Prince will join White at the Broncos this year, strengthening their Mount Isa connection, but it is daughter Emily who is keeping the White name alive and well from this end.

The 21-year-old is at the pointy end of her communications degree, as she completes a vacation program with her Dad's former employer.

"I'm currently working in the community relations department with Xstrata," she said.

"I heard about the opportunity through people I knew here, I applied and I was fortunately succesful."

The eldest of four sisters, Emily began her tenure in November, and insists she was far from daunted by the distant relocation - in fact she relished the opportunity to return to Mount Isa.

"It was definitely comforting," she said.

"Vacation progams are available all around in regional areas and a lot of people aren't as fortunate as I was to know people and have a background in the area.

"So coming back here, I was very familiar with the place and I had kept in touch with friends."

Paul encouraged all of his daughers to follow Emily's footsteps as he firmly believed regional areas, like Mount Isa, were where individuals find out about themselves.

"Places like Mount Isa are the land of opportunity," he declared emphatically.

"People undersell how important places like Mount Isa are in developing future leaders. People in Mount Isa can rightly be proud of their community and the people they produce."

Being a product of the Isa himself, White is a testament to his own personal belief.

n League's future in Isa, Page 18