With 205 NRL games to his name, Canterbury lock Kurt Mann knows what it takes to win on the football field.
Since moving to the Bulldogs in 2024, his game has gone from strength-to-strength and his grit and determination has seen him picked as 18th man for Billy Slater’s Queensland Maroons.
The country kid from Winton – “a town where footy is religion” – was first called into a Maroons camp during the COVID bubble for Game III of 2021 by Paul Green, and he has been itching to be back since.
Hopeful of being in the frame and spurred on by his older brother Joel who had full faith he would be picked, Mann – comfortable and confident in filling a utility role – was stoked to get the call from Slater.
“I’d heard a bit of chatter from other people that I could have been (in the mix). Usually, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, I guess, so knew I was getting spoken about it … that I must’ve been in the mix there somewhere,” Mann said.
“Billy just called me and let me know I was in … said it was a bit of good news and bad news, that I was going to be in the squad, but I’d be 18th player.
“I definitely don’t think it’s bad news to be in the conversation and part of this squad. Stoked, couldn’t believe it.
“It’s always an honour to be able to be in a Maroons camp and be around the boys, helping them prepare and also preparing for a game yourself.
“Being able to put on the Maroons jersey at the end of the week is something pretty special.”
The first person he called was his brother Joel.
“He’d been asking me all week… ‘Do you know yet? Do you know yet?’… he’s been into me all week, so I had to call him first and let him know,” Mann said.
“He’s happy. He’s stoked for me. The first thing he said to me was he was booking his flight. He said ‘right, I’m booking my flight now’ and then pretty much hung up on me.”The rest of the family, and everyone in Winton, is equally as proud.
“Oh, very proud,” Mann said of everyone close to him.
“Especially being a boy from the bush in Queensland, Winton, not many people sort of kick on and move into the NRL from there, so everyone in town is very proud and I’m sure they’ll be tuned in to watch the game.”
The 32-year-old, who has also played for Melbourne Storm, St George Illawarra Dragons and Newcastle Knights during his career, said his goal now was to prepare the best he could for the big task of taking on New South Wales at Suncorp Stadium.
“We want to be as prepared as we can be for that game,” Mann said.
“I’ll do what I need to do, prepare myself and prepare the boys as well.
“A couple of fresh faces, and there’s a couple of boys that have played a lot of footy together as well, which is never a bad thing; it’s always good to have players who understand each other’s game and the systems and what they have to do here with the Maroons.
“Really looking forward to the week and just preparing for this game.”
Mann said if he did get the opportunity to run out it would simply be a dream come true.
“It’d be unreal,” he said.
“It’s a childhood dream of mine. I’m still chasing it and I’ll continue to chase it.
“I’m in the squad at the moment and I’m playing my part here now and doing what I can to help the boys and prepare myself.”
When he’s not chasing his dream of donning maroon, Mann is kept very busy by the two little loves of his life.
“Two kids… my son’s just started school this year, he’s six, and my daughter, she’s three and a half, so they keep me very, very busy off the field, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Mann said.
“Most of my days off I spend with them and my partner Zara. I don’t think the kids will come (to this game); probably a little bit too late for them and they’ll be bouncing off the walls that time of the night, so they’ll likely watch it from home.
Source: NRL.com