One young Mount Isa boy has set the Townville rugby league scene alight and now Malachi Retchford is taking the next step with a contract with the Sydney Roosters.
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Retchford who turned 18 in July will sign up for the Roosters’s under 20 side and has already left North Queensland to pursue his dream of playing NRL.
Proud parents Stephen and Tenneal will follow their son’s dream from Townsville as will plenty of Retchford relatives back in the Isa.
Born and raised in Mount Isa, Malachi went to Spinifex State School and played for Wanderers first and then with Brothers before the family moved to the coast three years ago where he continued his education at Kirwan State High School and his footy for the school team the Kirwan Bears.
Finishing year 12 in 2018 his efforts at the club were rewarded as he took out the school’s prestigious sportsman of the year award and the Sam Thaiday award, named for one of Kirwan’s most famous football alumni, which was presented by Sam’s mother.
The front rower also featured for the Townsville Under 18s Blackhawks and he was selected for the North Queensland schoolboys side in Toowoomba and then he made the Queensland schoolboys where his performances came to the attention of several NRL sides, but it was the Roosters who snapped him up for two years.
Malachi will now play in the NSW Jersey Flegg Cup competition which replaced the NRL-run under-20s National Youth Competition.
Mum Tenneal said she and dad Stephen were very proud and excited but Malachi was taking it in his stride.
“He’s very humble our boy Malachi, he doesn’t say much at all,” Tenneal said.
“He went to Sydney, came back and had a week with us for Christmas, went straight out to Mount Isa and went pig hunting and fishing.”
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
