From the bush to the big time: How Blacklock put Tingha on the map

Former Dragons star Nathan Blacklock said he was "lucky" to be plucked out of the bush and handed an opportunity to play in the NRL, and is now working to provide hope for the next generation of bush talent.

Born and raised in Tingha, a tiny town 550km north-east of Sydney, Blacklock scored 121 tries during a glittering first-grade career which spanned stints at Roosters, St George and St George Illawarra, but it was an unusual route to rugby league success for the flying finisher.

One of seven kids, Blacklock’s early years growing up in the northern New South Wales community consisted of chasing rabbits in the bush, playing footy in the street, and, most importantly, church every Sunday.

“We’d get up and have brekky and then mum wouldn’t see us for the rest of the day. We’d swim in summer, winter we’d be chasing rabbits, we just always had to be home before the street lights,” Blacklock told NRL.com.

“The likes of myself, Preston Campbell and Owen Craigie would be outdoors all day just having fun.

“I played soccer and basketball growing up because they were played on Saturday. My Dad was the Minister and I played drums in church for the band so I couldn’t play league because it was on Sunday.

“But just by chance we had a school league carnival one Saturday so I played soccer then raced over to play league.

“Les Cleal was in town to watch the footy and after we won the carnival he asked my cousin who was coaching who I was and why I didn’t play footy.

“Les then had a word to mum and dad and convinced them to let me play under 18s for Inverell Hawks and by the end of that year Les got me a start at the Roosters. I think the biggest thing for him was knowing my behaviour off the field was really good which definitely helped with my pathway to the NRL.”

After he finished Year 12, Blacklock relocated to Sydney to join the Roosters' under 19’s Jersey Flegg side. Despite having only one season of rugby league experience under his belt, it's there that the “Tingha Tornado” was born.

“When you go from the bush to the city there’s a lot of distractions and that’s what brings a lot of young players unstuck," Blacklock reflected. "But I made a promise to myself that I was there to play rugby league and chase a dream and I wouldn’t let anything get in the way of that.

“When I got there I realised I was behind on a lot of things, so I made sure I was the first at training and the last to leave, to work on my weaknesses in the game.

“I used to sprint up sand-hills in my dad's work boots as a kid to build up strength in my legs and I continued to do that in Sydney which allowed me to have speed off the mark to react to what’s going on.

“One day after I played under-19s and under-21s, I got called up to make my first-grade debut, so I guess all that hard work paid off.”

One of the game's finest entertainers, Blacklock went on to play 142 NRL games and became the first player since 1920 to top the try-scoring list three years in a row (1999 to 2001) as well as the first ever player to score 20 or more tries in four consecutive seasons.

With the fleet-footed flyer making a habit of scoring tries, Blacklock also became known as the "somersault king" for his iconic backflip post-try celebrations which were a major drawcard for pulling crowds at Dragons home games.

“In 1997 I moved to the Dragons. The Roosters had Jack Elsegood and other players in front of me there but Ricky Walford was leaving Dragons and they needed someone to replace him so my managers got me over there and I never looked back,” the prolific try-scorer said.

"When I went to the Dragons. Dave Waite (coach) was really good because he let me play my own game. All my previous footy I played as five-eighth and halfback so I had to learn how to be a winger pretty quick.

"The game brought me a lot of enjoyment and I loved entertaining the crowds. And you can see now the teams that celebrate tries are the teams going well because they’re enjoying rugby league.

After hanging up the boots in 2004, Blacklock, 46, now works in northern NSW to provide opportunities for young Indigenous teenagers facing adversity.

"I lived to play the game and when I started to play the game to live, that’s when I knew it was time to stop."

Rugby league great Nathan Blacklock

Inspired by former rugby league player Ronny Gibbs, Blacklock said he hopes to provide opportunities for young people to find purpose in their life, like he found in rugby league.

"Rugby league means everything to these kids," Blacklock told NRL.com at the 2022 Ronny Gibbs Sevens competition in Bourke.

"In winter when rugby league starts the town is buzzing because they’ve got rugby league to look forward to.

No matter how old you are, or what background or race you are, everyone supports the one team and that's how footy brings a community together.

Former rugby league player Nathan Blacklock

"The work Ronny does in the outback community is amazing because the trip we make to get out here once a year is the kilometres he travels every day to bring opportunities to kids in the bush.

“There are so many talented kids in the bush," he added. "It disappoints me seeing the younger generation let their talent be wasted whether that’s in sport, school or work.

“I also have my own business where I take young kids out on country trips to try and help heal those who have experienced trauma.

“A lot of kids can feel alone out in the bush so I try and listen to them and help put them in the right line and just let them know I’m there and try and mentor them."