Ramien picked as rising Indigenous star

Tuesday 11 December 2012 2:07 PM

Sea Eagles junior Jesse Ramien has been named among the country's most exciting young Indigenous players, selected in the NSW Koori training squad set to play the curtain raiser for the All Stars match in February.

The NSW Koori will take on the QLD Murri, with the Under 16s squads chosen from areas as far as Tully in North Queensland and as remote as Goodooga in NSW.

An outstanding outside back, Ramien has plenty of representative experience - this season he made the Australian Under 15s merit side, the previous year he made the NSW merit side.

Last month he played in the annual Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout at Raymond Terrace and despite competing against much older players, including facing up against the Sea Eagles' own George Rose, was one of the tournament's most impressive performers.

He's not yet 16 but Ramien will step up a division into the Sea Eagles SG Ball side in 2013 after dominating in Harold Matthews this year.

Manly coaching and development manager Simon Healey said a player of Ramien's potential demands a challenge.

"We played him in a 15s development and he was just too good. For his development it would be a waste of time playing him in Harold Matthews again," Healey said. "We're better off testing him.
"Physically he's ready, mentally we think he's ready to push up an age group."

The finals squads for the curtain-raising clash will be selected in January.

But Sea Eagles fans have the chance to see Ramien and the rest of the Sea Eagles' rising stars in action this Saturday (Dec 15) as Manly's juniors take on North Sydney Bears in a trial at TG Milner Oval.