THE career of local teenage rugby star Nick Cushan continues to go from strength to strength with the announcement he has been selected in the NSW Junior Waratahs squad.
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Cushan has enjoyed another stellar season and the 17-year-old has firmly set himself as one to watch in the future after playing a starring role in NSW Country's win over fierce rivals NSW City at Tamworth last Sunday.
City have long been regarded as the stronger of the two sides but Country showed their class at Scully Park with a resounding 40-7 win, with City's only points being the last try scored in the match.
Cushan, a powerful prop, led from the front in his time on the field and his efforts were rewarded after the match with a place in the NSW state squad.
After starting the year with an eye on a spot in the Junior Waratahs team Cushan admitted it was a proud feeling to be named.
"I thought it was always the point and something to train towards and build to," he said of the Waratahs squad.
"It's satisfying to know you've been selected in the NSW team and to come through all the levels and finally get there."
Unsurprisingly, the Country side dominated the NSW squad with 14 of the 23 players plying their trade in the bush.
Cushan admitted it was very pleasing to get a win over their City rivals but even he was surprised at the ease to which his side won.
"It was a bit tough to start with, we had to defend for a lot in the first 20 but then we got a bit of ball and kept running tries, it was definitely a good game to play in," he said.
The selection comes as a great reward for all the work the mountainous Cushan has done this year, with a place in the NSW Combined Colleges squad an achievement earlier in 2014.
"That was good too but different, it was a different style of rugby," he said.
"It was a lot more of a running style but another really good experience."
His attention now turns to finishing the season strongly with his local Dubbo Kangaroos under-17s side with his side currently sitting fourth and eying off a potential premiership tilt.
But the rugby action doesn't stop there as he will then link up with his new Waratahs teammates for a number of training sessions in the coming months.
With the Junior Waratahs schedule not yet finalised Cushan said he expected to attend a number of training sessions before a couple of possible matches with the NSW team.
Dubbo had another representative at Tamworth last Sunday with Hayden Goodall playing for NSW Country in the under 14s but his side came up against a well-drilled City side which won their match 15-0.
