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RUGBY league has found a new version of Roosters superstar Sonny Bill Williams - except this one can really fight.
Willis Meehan is a 116kg, 17-year-old powerhouse who has emerged at the Australian schoolboys championships in Cairns as one of the country's hottest sporting talents.
He is already a gold medal favourite in the super heavyweight division for next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Meehan is a blockbusting centre for the Sydney Roosters' Holden Cup team and is playing for NSW Combined High Schools, who take on Queensland in today's grand final.
He is the son of former heavyweight champ Kali Meehan who had a career of 42 fights for 38 wins.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson and chairman Nick Politis are backing the rookie's Commonwealth Games bid, declaring the club would be proud for one of its boom players to represent his country in another sport.
To get into Games contention, the teenager had to beat London Olympian Johan Linde, a 30-year-old far more experienced boxer, to win the recent Australian amateur title.
Former heavyweight champ Kali Meehan who had a career of 42 fights for 38 wins.
Australia's foremost boxing critic Grantlee Kieza has no doubts he can win the heavyweight gold medal in Scotland next year.
"To beat an Olympian at 17 years of age shows he's got an enormous future in boxing," Kieza said.
"He'd beat Sonny Bill Williams for sure. Willis has been beating proper fighters while they stop Sonny's bouts a couple of rounds early if he looks like getting beaten."
Somehow this hugely talented boxer/footballer is determined to make a career out of both sports, committing himself to two specialised training programs.
For a youngster who can obviously handle himself in any situation on the footy field, he also fully supports the NRL crackdown on punching.
"There's no need for it we're out there to play footy, not fight," he says.
Willis Meehan playing for NSW Combined High Schoolds.
He's tough, strong and willing enough to play front-row at these schoolboy championships but has the agility and speed to play centre for the Roosters Holden Cup team.
"It gets a bit hard sometimes trying to do both sports," Willis said.
"I wake up in the morning and go to footy training, do it again in the afternoon, and then do my boxing after that.
"I try to get a bit of rest but I do something every day. The training is completely different but I'm managing it."
At this stage he has no preference to either sport, although good judges say he's more a boxer/footballer than Sonny Bill who is obviously a footballer/boxer.
"When I play rugby league I'm part of a group of 17 mates but in the ring it's just me with my dad in the corner," he said.
"He's there to support but he's not throwing the punches for me. I love both sports.
"The Roosters have been awesome. They give me time off when I need it and are totally supportive."
The major goal at this stage is the Commonwealth Games, with the boxing selection trials starting when the footy season finishes in September.
Being at the same club as SBW has its obvious advantages when you are trying to achieve what few other have done.
"I'm close to Sonny we talk a lot," he said.
"The advice he gave me was keep at it, enjoy it while I can and just go hard."
Roosters Trent Robinson is also his biggest supporter.
"Everyone from the top down at the Roosters knows who he is," Robinson said, " He's very tough, very physical and very athletic.
"We've used him at prop, back-row and centres in Holden Cup.
"As a club we'd love to support a kid trying to represent his country at the Commonwealth Games.
"And to give you an idea of how we highly we rate him in footy, he will go full-time with the NRL squad in the off-season."
Probably the toughest job lays with his agent, veteran player manager Steve Gillis, in weighing up all the career opportunities.
"It's very much a step and a time but his aim is to go to the Commonwealth Games so you have to find the right balance between rugby league and his preparations for that," Gillis said.
"We've spoken to the Roosters about that and from the chairman to coach, they're fully supportive and we'll all do what's required to make it work.
"His dad Kali has done it all in boxing and the kid couldn't be in better hands for the challenges he faces.
"He's got great family support from his mum Rowena and two brothers who also play footy and do a bit of boxing."
The good news for NSW fans is that the Kiwi-born teenager has pledged his allegiance to the Blues.
"Australia is my home and I've played all my footy here," he said. -
just more anti roosters garbage from the telecrap
probably not even trueComment
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That article made little or no sense.SUPER DRAGON!Comment
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The last time I said nothing surprised me, the next day Saudi terrorists flew planes into a building I used to eat lunch in semi-regularly so no, I'm not surprised.Originally posted by chook 56 View PostSUPER DRAGON!Comment
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just a profile of the kid and what he's up toOriginally posted by Johnny. View Post
what part(s) couldn't you grasp John?Comment
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True. Written by Rothfield too. Wonders will never cease.Originally posted by tony the wheel View Post
But, where are your comments when they do write the predictable anti-Roosters diatribes?Comment
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The sentence structure, the syntax and the grammar were below the comprehensive reading skills of a 5 year old.Originally posted by tony the wheel View PostSUPER DRAGON!Comment
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What are you on about ?Originally posted by tony the wheel View Post
It was relatively positive - nothing wrong with it.
That's 3 articles in a row from beetroot face in 2 weeks with something positive about the roosters.
He must be concerned about possible litigation coming up.Comment
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I think we (the collective we not the Royal we) are so conditioned to suspicion about anything Mr. Rothfield writes that if something is not 100% glowing in it's praise then we are likely to snap first then think rationally.Originally posted by roorooman View PostSUPER DRAGON!Comment
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A positive profile on a youngster coming through mixed in with some not so subtle digs at SBW. That's about the best we can hope for from the DT unless it's written by Josh Massoud who maybe Tony could reveal where his allegiances lie?Comment
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maybe he is just softening us up before the game next week against the sharks?Comment
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what that kids name who played 20s for us , who is now a cage fighter. does anyone know. I remember a story in our looooooong off season something about him1911 1912 1913 1923 1935 1936 1937 1940 1945 1974 1975 2002 2013 2018 2019 2020Comment
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