HE cut his rugby league teeth playing alongside home-spun legends Braith Anasta and Nathan Merritt in the South Sydney Rabbitohs junior nursery – now life is still rosy for Port Stephens educator Pat Hay.

Turn the clock forward nearly three decades and Hay’s passion for the code remains strong in his role as the newly-elected President of Nelson Bay Marlins Rugby League Club.

After coaching eldest son Zeke, a promising half back, and the Marlins’ current crop of fourteen-year-olds in the Hunter Junior Rugby League competition for the past seven seasons, the astute Hay has taken over the reins from long-serving president Brooke Hill for the 2024 campaign.

With strong personal beliefs in developing young people in a holistic way, the dedicated official looks forward to fostering the club’s new wave of exciting young talent.

It is a fresh challenge for the Wirreanda Public School Sports Coordinator, who has served tirelessly on a progressive Marlins committee that includes the outgoing Hill and former vice president Wayne Humphrey and current secretary Lauren Cavana, vice president Brad Munro, Dean Cavana, Dan McKay, Trudy Tarrant, Felicity Shepherd and Glenn Tarrant.

School teacher Pat, who focuses on wellbeing and team bonding over a win-at-all-costs attitude, believes the club are shaping well for the season ahead.

“We will field sixteen competitive teams from Under 6 to Under 16s in the Hunter Junior competitions and have an array of emerging prospects in our development system,” revealed the 41-year-old mentor.

The Marlins coaching panel are delighted with the improvement shown by Nelson Bay teams in the various age groups with Hay reaching a milestone last season after guiding his Under 13s to the finals for the first time.

It was a fine achievement by the industrious official who has assisted with the development of many of the club’s up and coming juniors since volunteering his services.

Hay was a talented fullback with the South Eastern and Matraville Tigers clubs in the South Sydney Junior League in his youth and on the Rabbitohs and Eastern Suburbs Roosters representative radar.

During the winter months you will regularly find him at the Marlins’ home base at Salamander Sports Complex, devoting numerous hours into co-ordinating the club’s weekly operations.

Pat has a spring in his step when he points to the potential in the Marlins’ Under 13, 14 and 15 age groups with thirteen players trialling for spots in the Newcastle Knights’ Development squads.

“We have also established a partnership with the Nelson Bay Bomboras club and view this as an ideal pathway for our juniors as they graduate into the senior ranks,” enthused Hay.

By Chris KARAS