That was the message from Coonamble Bears junior and soon-to-be Newcastle Knight Jesse Ramien for all of the youngsters playing in this year’s NSW Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout.

Ramien himself moved to Sydney as a teenager, playing with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Youth Competition before moving to Sharks in 2016.

In 2017 he was named in the Junior Kangaroos side to take on the Junior Kiwis, and made his NRL debut in round 26 against his future club the Knights.

He acknowledged leaving home could be hard, but urged aspiring youngsters to “take your opportunities”.

“I think for a lot of the boys from the bush … when they get the opportunity to go away they sort of get a bit scared leaving their family, being so young,” Ramien said.

“But I think with opportunity comes reward so you need to take your opportunities when you get it.

“Home’s always going to be home. They can always come back.”

Ramien is playing with Kempsey Dunghutti Bloodlines in this year’s Knockout alongside Brisbane Bronco and NSW Origin centre James Roberts, and the side kicked off its 2018 campaign with a 12-4 win over Walgett Aboriginal Connection in front of a packed Apex Oval grandstand.

Ramien was confident the side could do well, but acknowledged the strength of this year’s Knockout.

He welcomed the number of NRL players that were in attendance, from WAC’s Cody Walker to Doonside’s Andrew Fifita.

“Growing up as a young fella, every kid wanted to play,” Ramien said.

“I remember being young and watching players like Timana Tahu and that lay and I looked at them, I thought they were absolute superstars.

“Playing against them makes your day, it makes the Knockout and for them to just come out and play with family, it’s great to see.”

Ramien relished the chance to be a role model for the next generation.

“I came here today and I’ve been asked for a few photos … it felt amazing to come here and knowing not too many years ago that was me, running up to Timana and that asking for photos,” he said.

“So I love coming here, I love giving back, seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they come up and get to meet someone that has made something from a small country town.

“I love coming back here, I mark it every year on the calendar and love catching up with all my family in one place!”

It’s the one weekend that Indigenous rugby league players across NSW circle in their calendar every year.

But at 22, Coonamble junior Braidon Burns has just played his first.

The South Sydney Rabbitoh has often been injured come the end of the season, but this weekend at Apex Oval he finally saw what he had been missing.

“It’s a different kind of footy,” Burns said. “Everyone sort of digs in and once you’ve got that name everyone comes after you so it was fun!

“It’s a chance for all of us to see our families … so it’s really good for the community and the culture.”

His Castlereagh All Blacks side lost 10-6 to the Kempsey Dunghutti Bloodlines on Sunday morning – a step up for a playing group that hasn’t previously made past round one.

“I think a few of the boys got a bit nervous coming up against a couple of NRL players but we dug in,” he said.

“We just didn’t hold the ball at the end and that’s how they got us.”