Cole fire burns as Jack seeks redemption for WCC

Don't try to tell Jack Cole, a 21-year-old from Orange, that rugby league is not an international game.

Just under 17 percent of the playmaker's first-grade appearances have come in the Northern Hemisphere, the man parachuted into last year’s World Club Challenge for Penrith against Wigan again in the spotlight after winning a three-way battle to partner the celebrated Nathan Cleary in the halves against Cronulla at Allegiant Stadium.

Travelling an entire day to play a game of football is pretty much the norm in his short career.

“It’s different in a sense... but for me it still feels the same,” said the man from Rampaging Roy Slaven’s alma mater, Orange CYMS, who played one game in top company before the WCC and nine since.

“It’s a pretty big game, not having played too many... this will be my 11th game.

“The experience was good (in the WCC) for myself. Looking back on it, I kind of wish I tried to build a bit more.

“That was my first big game, my first start at six on that big a stage and a big atmosphere as well. 

“I probably wasn’t too happy that I didn’t take as many opportunities as I could have. From then to now I’ve learned a lot as a player.”

Cole certainly doesn’t lack confidence - on the field or off it, where he was not afraid to spell out his ambitions over the coming season as his selection battle with Blaize Talagi and Brad Schneider unfolds.

Asked what he was aiming to do better, he said: “Just back myself more, trust the work I put in. I feel I’m getting better at doing that now... take opportunities as they arise and go from there.”

Parramatta import Talagi is earmarked by many as Jarome Luai’s full-time replacement while Schneider also has more top-grade experience on both sides of the globe.

But Cole declared: “I’m going to try and stay there.

“That’s the mindset you’ve got to have. You can’t be just be hoping you’re playing one week and hoping you’re going to play the next week. You’ve got to want to stay there and I’m going to do everything I can to do that.

“I want to stay at six - and that’s it, pretty much.

“No-one knew who was going to be playing in that spot until a week or two ago … until I started training more consistently.

“At the start of the pre-season a few of us got sat down and told pretty much that ‘there’s a position there - you compete for it’.

“In the other games I was trying to play the role of whoever I was coming in for.

This will be a case of me trying to be my own sort of player. I’ve said before, I’m not trying to be what Jarome was

Jack Cole

“I like watching him and I try to take little bits of his game. I know I’ve still got a little bit to work on but I know I’m going to back myself.

“I can’t wait to get out there on a pretty big stage - Vegas! It’ll be pretty unreal.”

Talagi’s presence on the Vegas trip has not felt threatening, Cole insisted.

“It didn’t really bother me too much. I felt like, when there’s competition I do better. We get along well. It’s been good for the team, it’s been good for me and I’m sure it’s been good for him too.

“I’ve become close to (Talagi and Schneider), competing at training against each other has been awesome.”

With Brian To’o (hamstring) out, Casey McClean gets his chance on the wing but that’s where the similarities to Cole end. Even though he’s played fewer first-grade games with seven, the 18-year-old made his New Zealand Test debut last southern hemisphere Spring.

McLean is the brother of centre Jesse - part of the Panthers travelling squad -  nephew of NRL stalwart Alex Chan and cousin of Salford’s Tiki Chan and Melbourne’s Joe Chan.

“With Jesse here, our dream of playing together is around the corner,” Casey said.
“Him and I are here together. Mum and Dad can’t make it because our older sister, she’s expecting. Having Jesse by my side will help me through things.”