FOR teenage rugby league sensation Kierran Moseley, success has not come without sacrifice.
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But it has rewarded him with a place in the history books, becoming the first person from Cloncurry to sign with an NRL club.
The 18-year-old recently signed with the Penrith Panthers.
He has had to overcome numerous challenges along the way during his journey, including injuries and separation from his family.
Another part of what make Moseley's story so unique is that one of the influential figures in his career has been his female maths teacher and rugby league coach Lynette Kim Sing.
Kim Sing was Moseley's Year 10 maths and health and physical education teacher.
She also coached Moseley in the Cloncurry Eagles under 17 rugby league team.
The school's system meant that Moseley was 15 when he was playing in the team.
Despite the age difference, Kim Sing said Moseley was a standout.
"I've been teaching for 28 years and coaching league for 20," she said.
"I could easily see then that if you gave him the right support and right opportunities, he would make it."
After recognising his talent and flare for the game, Kim Sing convinced Moseley's mother Janelle Major to let him make the move to Townsville to Kirwan State High School where he had been selected to play for the Townsville Stingers.
He was the only player from outside of Townsville to make the team that year.
Mrs Major said she could see Kim Sing's teachings were already having an impact on her son.
"I noticed a big change in him when she arrived," she said.
"I believe that she was the one taught to really go after his dreams and work hard against the odds."
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Although they gave their blessing, the move was tough on Kierran's family who initially expressed concern about him leaving home at such a young age.
"Yeah I was definitely a bit worried for him." said Keirran's grandfather Kevin Major.
"I wasn't sure whether it was the right move."
The relocation was also tough on Moseley who says he found it difficult to settle into his new surroundings.
"The move to Townsville was pretty tough because I'd never lived away from home," he said.
"Starting at a new school was probably the hardest thing."
The move was made harder when Moseley was injured while completing Year 12.
He missed out on being selected for a number of the representative and forced him to make another difficult decision as to whether to repeat the year or not.
Realising that it was the best way to achieve his dream of playing in the NRL, Kierran took the year again and now being injury free, was picked in the Queensland schoolboys under-18 team and the 'State of Origin' under-18 team.
Miss Kim Sing said that the decision to stay back a year is an example of the character traits she recognised within him early on.
"He has always had alot of passion and alot of drive," she said.
"There are not many opportunities to make it in the NRL where he is from so he had to be committed for it to work."
The Panthers Toyota Cup coach, Garth Brennan first saw Kierran in the schoolboy under 18s representative games.
He says that Kierran made an immediate impression on him with what he could do on the field.
"He was a very smart and creative dummy half," he said.
"I liked his speed and he was quite strong in defence so he ticked all the right boxes for me."
While in the representative teams, Moseley got the opportunity to play in the curtain raiser for the second match of the 2012 State of Origin series at ANZ Stadium.
After the game Moseley was shown around the Penrith club and facilities by Phil Gould.
He also got to train with the Queensland squad which he says has played a role in his development as a player.
"They were all so focused and professional," Kierran said.
"I learnt alot from just being on the same field as them."
Despite the prowess of his league heroes however, Moseley says the person that has taught him the most outside of his family has been Miss Kim Sing.
"She has been very helpful to me," he said.
"She has passed on to me a number of life skills that I am able to use off the field."
Moseley will head down to Penrith at the end of October to begin pre-season training with the Panthers where he will live with a number of other players in a club house recently purchased by Gould.