Jess O’Neil enjoying his return to rugby league with Narrabri Blues

When Jess O’Neil last played for the Narrabri Blues back in 2019, he was one of the youngest players in the side.

He was one of the players who was thought of as the future of the club, but he switched codes the following season to play soccer for Narrabri FC when the 2020 Group 4 Rugby League campaign was abandoned amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

O’Neil won two minor premierships and played in two grand finals in his new sport, but this year he decided to make his return to the rugby league arena.

He arrived at the club during the pre-season as one of the older boys in the squad at just 24 years of age, and he is certainly leading by example.

The second-rower polled a best an fairest point in round two and then earned two more in Sunday’s round four loss at home against Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters to end the day as the Blues’ leader on that tally with three.

He also scored a hat-trick in round four to finish the weekend as his side’s leading try-scorer with four.

The gun back-rower, who seems to have found a home out on the right edge, is enjoying his return to the field in 2023 and said that the Blues were getting better every week during a tough start to the campaign.

“I was always going to come back to the Blues and I thought this was the year to do it,” he said.

“I last played just before COVID, but there was no league in 2020 so I went to soccer.

“I really liked the soccer club so I stayed there for a few years, but as I said, I was always planning to come back to footy.

“It’s been a tough start, but we’ve had the top four from last year first up. We knew it was going to be hard.

“We’ll get there though. Every game so far we’ve shown improvement.

“Josh (captain-coach Josh Trindall) has been giving us goals every week to work towards and we are getting there. I don’t see us being too far from a win.”

O’Neil was also full of praise for his coach.

“Josh is unreal. I love his coaching,” he said.

“He’s taken on a big task. He’s had seven or eight debutants already, which is not easy.

“He’s easy to talk to and easy to get along with and he has good ideas.

“I think we’ll start putting them in place soon.

O’Neil is unavailable for the Blues’ round five clash against Boggabri this Sunday when he travels away for work, but already cannot wait to line up for his side the following Sunday against Gunnedah Bulldogs in round six on May 21.