Sharing the love of the game @ Sunset

The students at Sunset State School in Mt Isa were always mad about rugby league, but until last year very few of them had played club footy.

That all changed when the school decided to field its own club team, the Sunset Tigers, to help their youngsters become more active.

Their boys showed just how talented they were by winning their inaugural premiership, running up 60 points in their grand final win.

That team had the chance to meet three members of the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys’ NRL squad – Michael Morgan, Robert Lui and Curtis Rona – when they dropped in for a visit as part of the NRL’s Community Carnival and the Cowboys’ three-day visit to the mining town.

Joined by Cowboys game development manager Ryan Mahoney, the trio participated in coaching drills with the Tigers before taking part in an informative “Tackle Bullying” session at assembly with Sunset’s 300 students.

Drink bottles and wristbands were handed out to Q&A competition winners and each student is taking home a 2013 Cowboys poster.

“You could see the raw talent in the time we had out with them on the field. They were so quick and good on their feet,” Morgan said.

“Hopefully they can stick at playing footy and most of all have a good time playing with their mates.”

As well as visiting Sunset Primary, the Cowboys went to nine other schools and also dropped in at the children's ward at Mt Isa Hospital.

Since the 2013 Rugby League Community Carnival started a week ago, NRL players have visited 82,000 students in 340 schools across four countries.

The Cowboys’ leg started in Charters Towers on Tuesday and has included schools in Cloncurry, Richmond, Hughenden, Mt Isa, Normanton and Doomadgee.