![Cronulla Sharks fullback and Bathurst product Will Kennedy was at the Kelso Community Hub on Tuesday afternoon. Picture by James Arrow Cronulla Sharks fullback and Bathurst product Will Kennedy was at the Kelso Community Hub on Tuesday afternoon. Picture by James Arrow](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/33jmgggMux4cQ6bJ2r3hFg4/e11ad848-a6e5-47f1-8c6a-1e23c7161303.jpg/r2568_209_5370_2151_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
HE starred in Cronulla Shark's most recent NRL win, but on Tuesday Will Kennedy was back in Bathurst giving back to the local community.
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The talented fullback met with eager fans, spoke to them about his career and enjoyed a game of footy, as part of Bathurst Regional Council's Marang Connections, a free 12-month program aimed at increasing resilience, well-being and social connections for disadvantaged and disengaged young people aged 8-16 years.
Kennedy said he jumped at the opportunity to come back to Bathurst and engage with the local community.
"It's a great opportunity," he said.
"It's always good to come back home and talk to the kids and spend time with them chuck the footy around as well.
"I've got the bye this weekend, so I had a couple of days off, so it's a great chance to come down and hang out with the kids.
"I enjoy it and I love giving back from where I grew up."
Kennedy is currently in career-best form, having scored 12 tries in 2023 and having run for more than 2000 metres during all games this year.
![Bathurst boy Will Kennedy was back home on Tuesday, playing some footy and chatting to fans. Picture by James Arrow Bathurst boy Will Kennedy was back home on Tuesday, playing some footy and chatting to fans. Picture by James Arrow](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/33jmgggMux4cQ6bJ2r3hFg4/161e0906-9fe5-44a8-957e-286af8e7a781.jpg/r0_234_7018_4195_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He made his NRL debut back in 2019 and has since gone on to score 36 tries in 76 appearances, after playing a couple of seasons in the reserves with Sharks' feeder club Newtown Jets.
Kennedy is fresh off a 48-10 win over the Canterbury Bulldogs, a great bounce back from the Sharks, after suffering a 54-10 loss to the Melbourne Storm the previous week.
Kennedy said it was great to claim victory on Sunday.
"We've focused a lot at training and I think it showed a lot in the game [against Bulldogs], so it was good to bounce back from what happened," he said.
"We learned from that loss, so it was good to get the win actually."
There's an unwritten rule in the NRL that if you concede 50 points in a match, you won't win the grand final (as no team has been unable to overcame this record since 1908), but Kennedy is not fazed by this.
He's confident his team has what it takes to go all the way in 2023.
"I know we've got the team to turn it around and we can do something special," he said.
![Will Kennedy. Picture by James Arrow Will Kennedy. Picture by James Arrow](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/33jmgggMux4cQ6bJ2r3hFg4/ab6a4e8a-9a7d-478a-92e5-f4b5ce139555.jpg/r1264_596_5055_3266_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I don't really believe in all that stuff [50-point rule]. What I know is we've got the team to do it and I reckon we can do it."
And while he's enjoyed a great run in the NRL this year, he also reflected on his time at home, where he appeared in the Astley Cup in year 9 for Bathurst High Campus.
This year's cup gets underway on Thursday, June 22, and he's hoping the school will be able to enjoy success in 2023.
"They've got the Astley Cup ball on Friday but I couldn't make it, so I sent through a video message for them all," he said.
"I was in the Astley Cup teams for the footy and the basketball and it was a very big event. It was very enjoyable to watch and be a part of.
"Being the 100th year this year, it's a very big occasion. I think my mum was in it and my sisters.
"It's a great event for all the kids."
Kennedy left Bathurst High at the end of year 9, to move to Sydney, to further his NRL ambitions.
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