It will surprise nobody to hear that our current crop of NRL stars were pretty handy junior footy players but a search of our picture archive has unearthed more than one beach sprint champion, some big names in little athletics and more than a few awkward shots that only a mum could love.

A MONSTER IN THE UNDER NINES

Bryce Cartwright

UNDEFEATED UNDER 10 CHAMPIONS!

Jake Trbojevic

WADE MADE THE GRADE

Wade Graham

WOW IT’S KAPOW

Martin Taupau

FOLLOWING IN YOUR FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS

Lachlan Lam

HE’S HAD EYES ON HIM FROM A YOUNG AGE

Joseph Suaalii

TIPS FROM YOUR UNCLE THE KIWI LEGEND

Bailey Simonsson

HAVE YOU HEARD HE WAS A BEACH SPRINT CHAMPION?

Damien Cook

THE EVOLUTION OF A LETHAL LEFT SIDE PASS

Kalyn Ponga

FROM AWKWARD TO AWESOME

Tariq Sims

I’LL MAKE IT MY OWN WAY THANKS DAD

Tex Hoy

JT WAS THE KING TO THESE KIDS

Gehamat Shibasaki

CHERRY HAS THE NEED FOR SPEED

Daly Cherry-Evans

NO SHOCK BRADMAN WAS ABOVE AVERAGE

Bradman Best

A FUTURE DOLPHINS ‘BEST AND FAIREST’ WINNER?

Reed Mahoney

NFL TRYOUT WHO CAME ‘HOLMES’ TO THE NRL

Valentine Holmes

WILL THIS JUNIOR STAR MAKE THE MOST OF HIS TALENT?

Anthony Milford

A FEW YEARS LATER BUT THE SMILE IS THE SAME

Brandon Wakeham

PART ONE

TURBO’S ALWAYS GIVEN GREAT ‘FACE’

B/A Tom Trbojevic

ONE OF THESE IS A COWBOYS LEGEND

Coen Hess

BOY OR MAN, HE LOOKS GOOD IN BLUE

Latrell Mitchell

A YOUNG BULL ALWAYS ON THE CHARGE

David Fifita

FROM ‘HALF TEAPOT’ TO FULL

Cam Munster

THE LADIES MAN

Ben Hunt

THE ‘ROOSTERS’ JUNIOR’ THAT GOT AWAY

Nathan Cleary

OLYMPIC STANDARD SNOOZING (Homebush 2000)

Corey Waddell

A BIG UNIT WHO LOVES TO PUT A SHOT ON

David Klemmer

WE HAD TO GET A PROM NIGHT PIC …

Corey Oates

COOL TRICK CLIFFY

Jake Clifford

THAT’S A LOT OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO OUT RUN

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow

WITH THE LITTLE BRO – BEFORE THE MO

Reagan Campbell-Graham

COMING THE FULL FAMILY CIRCLE

Jayden Campbell

SOCCER’S LOSS IS OUR GAIN

Adam Doueihi

SAME VIBE – WORSE HAIRCUT

Ryan Papenhuyzen

BIG RED HAS BARELY AGED

Corey Horsburgh

HE’S COME A LONG WAY SINCE PSSA

Toby Rudolf

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR THIS GUY

Cam Murray

HE’S HAPPIER IN MAROON THAN BLUE

Jai Arrow

LOOKED LIKE A FUTURE BRONCOS CAPTAIN EVEN THEN

Pat Carrigan