https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/cowboys/remember-the-neame-griffin-neame-on-meteoric-path-to-the-top/news-story/8de4b5e1fdb90515dd5ffe08992747e7 A late night phone call to help him out of a tight spot showed Dave Elliott there was something special about Griffin Neame. Ever since he came to the Townsville Blackhawks from New Zealand, the up and coming forward has led with his actions and highlighted a relentless drive to make the jump to the NRL. Elliott, the Blackhawks under-21s coach, mentored the 19-year-old prop at the club last season and saw a humble, quietly spoken young man who simply wanted to be better. And it was that one phone call, not anything that happened on the field, which Elliott said summed up the future Cowboy. “I got a call late one night – I think it was about 9.30 – from Griff,” Elliott recalled.
“I missed the call and rang him back, and he was actually locked in our facility here because he was doing weights by himself on a day off, and was here that late they figured no one was here. “He got locked in the club, we had to come and let him out. “But to me that just epitomised his work ethic, he was on his day off here by himself improving himself. “He always had a really good work ethic, particularly around training – a lot of young blokes don’t make that correlation of needing to rip into training to play well. “It wasn’t anything on the field, but I thought that was a real good sign.” In the early stages of the ill-fated 2020 Intrust Super Cup, Neame had indicated he was set for a break out campaign. During each of the Blackhawks trial matches he lined up with the senior group, impressing the coaching staff and his teammates. Neame’s 2021 stocks were raised even further when he was promoted to the North Queensland NRL squad, and his name has been on everyone’s lips at Cowboys HQ. Head coach Todd Payten made mention of the teenage sensation in December, telling The Townsville Bulletin he said “a couple of things that have hit the nail on the head” during the early weeks of pre-season. That in itself has demonstrated his growing maturity as a footballer and person, given how he came to the club under Elliott’s tutelage. “He wasn’t a big talker, he’s quite a humble young bloke that doesn’t say a lot,” Elliott said. “But the biggest thing you want to see from a coaching point of view is that their actions on the field and in training are what they’re all about. “Griff was certainly that, he always turned up to train and train hard, he always turned up to play and play hard, and he always led from the front. “Talking is good and you want good communicators, but if you don’t back it up and follow through in your actions there’s not much point. “He was certainly always someone when he got here he was all actions.” As it stands, the Blackhawks and the rest of the Intrust Super Cup are unsure how their season will look with regards to NRL contracted players. The spike in COVID-19 cases in New South Wales has reignited discussions about a coronavirus bubble, as adopted in the 2020 campaign. That could mean Neame is unable to pull on the green and gold to make a statement in the second tier division, and ensure his on field performances thrust him into Cowboys debut calculations. Neame has an ample sounding board to look towards for guidance, with roommate Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow proving in 2020 that actions on the training paddock could set up a fruitful string of performances. Already he will be contending with a mammoth starting forward pack, with North Queensland props Josh McGuire and Jordan McLean solidified upfront, and the likes of Tom Gilbert impressing in his maiden NRL season. However Elliott said a call up, regardless of his preparation, would not daunt the dynamic bookend. Whatever had been put in front of him in the past he would find a way to go to the next level, and Elliott said an upgrade into the Cowboys starting 17 would not be out of reach for him. “I guess the biggest rap I can give him is whatever you threw in front of him he always chewed it up," he said. “Depending on what the Cowboys have over there, I certainly don’t think it would be out of the realm of possibility for him. “Everyone seems to be talking about him and how well he’s going. “If he has to come back and play some ISC I’m sure he’ll chew that up, like he’s chewed everything else up, and who knows – I think it could definitely be on his radar.”
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