A moving smoking ceremony has focused Norths on the importance of the Hostplus Cup’s Indigenous Round including today’s clash with PNG Hunters at Bishop Park.
The Devils gathered before their training run on Friday night to hear from artist Emily Robinson on her design for the special Norths Indigenous jersey that will feature in today’s match.
The squad and coaching staff then took part in a smoking ceremony on Bishop Park.
The gathering included Murgon State High School students who are spending the weekend at the Devils as part of the annual Deadly 1440 program that coincides with Indigenous Round.
And Dolphins NRL players Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Josh Kerr also took part, joining the NRL Indigenous All-Stars teammate and Devils captain Kierran Moseley.
“That was a pretty powerful experience,” Moseley said.
“We were able to bring all the squad there, our coaching staff and the young boys together. It’s a bit hard to put that experience into words.”
Moseley, a proud Mitakoodi/Pitjantjatjara man, said Indigenous Round was important to the Devils.
“If you ask the Indigenous boys in our squad, it probably means something different to each of them,” Moseley said.
“These types of experiences bring people together. It helps them to ask questions about where people are from and to learn more.
“We’re a united bunch as a team so it helps us too.
“And I’m sure this round will mean a lot to the Hunters. They represent their nation and they are proud of their heritage.”
Moseley expects a typically physical clash with the Hunters.
The last meeting between the teams had a different feel, coming in the last round of 2023 when neither team could qualify for the finals.
This time, the Devils took the competition lead into the round with their 10-3 record while the Hunters are eighth with a 7-6 win-loss record.
“They always play tough footy and you know what you get with them,” Moseley said.
“We have to get our bodies in front and be willing to take on their physical game.
“Teams want to knock us off now because we’ve been playing well and we have to be prepared for that.”
Devils coach Dave Elliott, whose mother Margaret hails from Ngawun country in northwest Queensland, said today would be special for the squad.
“These are important games and it shows that our game is about more than what happens on the field,” Elliott said.
The Devils will wear a jersey designed around the squad’s Indigenous players and the northside community. Emily Robinson outlined the meaning behind her design to the squad.
The Deadly 1440 program is in its third year, again bringing students from Murgon High to provide an opportunity for young men to train with the Hostplus Cup team and to be part of the gameday experience.
The program has ties to one of the Devils’ greatest players – Henry Hegarty came from Cherbourg as a young man to Nundah where he thrived as a dynamic centre in some of Norths’ greatest premiership teams.
Hegarty was a member of the Devils’ greatest-ever team alongside some of rugby league’s greatest names.
“We really look forward to the Murgon High students coming to our club every year for Indigenous Round. They’re very welcome and our club and the students get a lot out of the experience,” Elliott said.
