Last summer, Jackson Shereb considered giving away rugby league for good.
This Easter weekend, he’ll be in the thick of a grand final rematch between two arch-rivals, almost 1000km from his NSW hometown.
Such has been the whirlwind summer that has reignited Shereb’s love for football.
The 23-year-old has been a strong performer in a Norths team that has won all four matches to start their Hostplus Cup premiership defence.
The Devils’ winning streak goes on the line this Saturday when Redcliffe Dolphins come to Bishop Park to avenge two finals defeats to Norths last September.
While the Devils were surging to their third premiership in four years, Shereb was considering giving the game away.
The second-rower had finished with St George Illawarra in the NSW Cup and struggled to find the enthusiasm for another season.
For the past six years, Shereb had worn a Dragons or Illawarra Steelers jersey. For three of those years, he had been a fulltime player hoping for an NRL debut.
But the break didn’t happen at St George Illawarra and the former Mudgee Dragons junior thought about life away from the game.
The Devils intervened with CEO Troy Rovelli and coach Rohan Smith asking Shereb to move north.
“Ro reached out to me and asked me what I was thinking about next season,” Shereb said.
“I wasn’t going to come up. I thought I was done. But I spoke to my family and realised I hadn’t given footy a go anywhere else.
“I could get out of my comfort zone and see if that made a difference.
“Looking back on it, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made for my football. I love playing here. I feel like I belong at the club.”
Shereb’s enjoyment at the Devils has shown in his performances on the field.
He was again prominent in Saturday night’s win over the Falcons in driving rain on the Sunshine Coast.
Shereb has played all but nine minutes of the Devils’ opening four matches, thriving under Smith’s coaching.
“His style is unique and I’m really enjoying it,” Shereb said.
“Ro encourages you to play what you see. It’s been fun.”
Shereb has taken the second-row spot of premiership forward Jeremiah Simbiken, who moved to the UK this season for a fulltime contract with Castleford alongside former Devils junior Liam Horne.
Shereb, who has four sisters, began playing rugby league at age eight for the Kandos Waratahs. Kandos is a small town in NSW’s central tablelands.
He moved to the nearby Mudgee Dragons for the Under 12 season and was signed by St George Illawarra at age 15.
On Easter Saturday, he’ll play in front of the Devils’ home crowd for only the second time as the premiers contest two consecutive long-weekend matches at Bishop Park.
