PHOTO
Sonny MacGregor has made his SG Ball debut with the Illawarra Steelers, smashing his goal of playing in the under 19 years competition a year young.
The 18-year-old winger, who turned 18 shortly after his first SG Ball appearance, reached his goal of playing in the competition at just 17, earning his opportunity in round four against the Parramatta Eels.
His debut ended in a 24-all draw, the Steeler's strongest result of the season at that point.
"It was a bitter sweet feeling," MacGregor said of getting the call-up.
"A few of the boys got injured which you never want to see, but I was excited to finally get a crack at it."
Without the opportunity to play in a lower-grade competition due to eligibility rules, MacGregor had to rely on his efforts at training to impress coaches.
"I just had to train well because I couldn't go back and play Laurie Daley Cup [which he represented Steelers in last year] or club footy to show what I could do."
Despite early nerves before his first apparence, MacGregor quickly found his feet in the step up to the SG Ball.
"It's definitely a big step up. It's faster and a lot more physical. I was really nervous before my first game but once I got my first carry, it all went away."
He backed up his debut the following week in round five, named in the starting side on the wing and made an immediate impact by scoring his first try in the competition in the 38th minute.
However the Steelers fell just short in an 18-22 loss to the Western Suburbs Magpies.
"I was pretty happy to get over for a try," MacGregor said.
"I had a lot more carries that game which the coach wanted for me, so I was pretty tired when I got the ball but managed to score."
The Steelers persistence paid off in round six, where they secured their first win of the season with a 24-16 victory over the Bulldogs.
The SG Ball Cup is one of NSW's premier junior rugby league competitions providing a key development pathway into higher grades including Jersey Flegg, NSW Cup and ultimately the NRL.
MacGregor who is among the youngest in the squad has his sights set firmly on progressing through those ranks.
"I'm still a year young so I've got next year in SG Ball as well.
"The goal is to keep improving, play Jersey Flegg then hopefully NSW Cup and first grade."
Balancing football with his Year 12 studies at Illawarra Sports High School, MacGregor is part of a specialised sports program that integrates training into the school week.
"It's really good, it's like having footy as one of my subjects," he said.
"We do training, video review and recovery like pilates during school so it definitely helps with my development."
Meanwhile MacGregor isn't the only Parkes player competing in elite junior competitions.
His cousin Grace MacGregor has been representing the Bulldogs in the Tarsha Gale Cup (under 19s) where the side sits third on the ladder after seven rounds.
She has featured off the interchange in multiple matches and contributed to several strong wins this season.
Former Parkes player Grace Milne, now in Canberra, is also impressing in the Tarsha Gale Cup with the Canberra Raiders being named as a centre each week.
Milne scored three tries in round four against the Melbourne Storm playing a key role in their 26-14 victory.
She was also part of the Raiders dominant 52-6 win over the Sea Eagles in round five on 7 March.
Her brother Jack Milne has also been involved in the Raiders' SG Ball squad this season.