League: Kearney mentors young talent (+video)

Kiwis head coach Stephen Kearney (centre) takes a coaching session in Rotorua yesterday. Photo/Ben Fraser

Rotorua's Reuben Taylor has taken some advice from Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney as he chases a career in rugby league.

Kearney, who is also the Brisbane Broncos assistant coach, visited Rotorua yesterday to attend the New Zealand Rugby League national performance camp.

The camp is reserved for the country's top young league players, with an 80-strong group attending this week.

Taylor, 17, plays his club footy for Ngongotaha and said it was a real privilege to train under Kearney yesterday.

"It is a real privilege being coached by someone of his calibre," he said. "It is a really good experience."

He said they were put through defensive drills with Kearney, and the Kiwis coach also spoke to them on Sunday about following their goals.

"He talked to us about what we have to do to become a pro league player," Taylor said.

Taylor is off to join the Canterbury Bulldogs under-20 set-up at the end of next year, and said his long-term goal was to play for the Kiwis.

Kearney flew back to Brisbane yesterday afternoon after a coaching session in the morning.

"I was focusing on defence. Obviously our tendency as a nation with rugby league, particularly when I was coming through, was all about the attack. So, for us, it is about getting the balance right."

Rotorua's Reuben Taylor, 17, right, at the New Zealand Rugby League performance camp in Rotorua Photo/Ben Fraser

Kearney said he spoke to the boys on Sunday night, as well, about setting up a plan to reach their goals. He said part of that was making the most of resources and opportunities currently open to them.

"They are here because they have some ability and it is about them having a bit of a plan, you know, about how they are going to go about achieving what they want out of the game," he said. "Obviously a big part of that is what is their dream? And what do they want to achieve?"

Kearney said, when he was coming through the system, he remembered hearing from former Kiwis players, which had an impact on him.

"I remember Gary Freeman and Brent Todd coming and speaking to us when I was a young fellah," he said.

The New Zealand Rugby League national performance camp started on Sunday and runs until tomorrow. A trial game is being held tomorrow at the Rotorua International Stadium for the under-16 and under-18 players.

An under-18 team will be picked to travel to Brisbane later this year to take on an Australian Schools team. Taylor said he would love to make that team.

Four local players were involved in the camp " Taylor, Hayze Perham (Pikiao), Dylan Clarke (Pacific) and Ezekiel Cooper-Tetevano (Pacific).