VERESDALE Scrub teenager Daniel Brownbill is one step closer to his NRL dream after being selected to don the Maroon jersey and represent his state earlier this month.
Daniel's whirlwind journey to the top of his sport started when he was selected to play in the under 16s South East Queensland side at the State Junior Carnival at Cairns.
In the first two rounds of the competition, Daniel's side was untouchable, beating the South East Queensland Chairman's XIII 58-nil and the Wide Bay Bulls 34-nil.
Daniel's team then came up against undefeated champions, the North Queensland Marlins in the finals and clinched a 28-10 victory.
Daniel said the highlight of the tournament was scoring his team's first try of the final match.
"I was the first one to score, which was pretty special," he said.
On the back of his performance, the 16-year-old was picked to play for the Maroons under 16s side against NSW Country at Rockhampton.
With just one week to train with the Maroon side, Daniel said the match was a true test of fitness.
"You're body's just tired and you've just got to pull through. You can't even breathe when you're out there it's so tough," he said.
Queensland had a clean sweep across four age groups on the day, with Daniel's team winning 22-10.
Daniel said he learnt a lot from the training as well as watching other players on the field.
"The whole week is based on what it's like to play in the NRL," he said.
It will not be long until he puts this experience to good use, as the talented second-rower has already been offered a scholarship with the Cowboys Academy.
"I signed up pretty much straight away because the Cowboys have always been my dream team," he said.
Daniel will train with the Cowboys in Brisbane until he finishes year 12, before deciding if he will make the move up north.
