This is the debut that never should have happened, but Queensland’s newest hope comes with a weapon to keep his rivals nervous.
Dropping out of high school at 15, eight years after the sudden death of his father, he was hesitant to play rugby league again.Credit:“I was just playing club footy for Caloundra, and I wasn’t even going to play that club footy, I just wanted to focus on my apprenticeship at that time,” Hopgood said.Hopgood admitted that for all the euphoria of claiming his first Maroons jumper, there was a hint of bittersweet emotion.
“I was sitting by the phone most of the day just trying to keep busy and waiting to see if I got the phone call. My daughter was getting close to bedtime, so she was starting to get a bit angry, and I was trying to keep her amused, playing with her. That could prove crucial coming off the bench on June 5 for Game 1, particularly when the game’s premier hooker Harry Grant will be searching for chances through the middle.
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