Kearney keeping an eye on talent

MENTOR: Stephen Kearney. PHOTO/JOHN STONE

Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney will visit Rotorua this weekend to mentor New Zealand's best young league players.

Kearney, who is also assistant coach at the Brisbane Broncos, will be attending the New Zealand Rugby League national performance camp starting tomorrow in Rotorua.

The four-day performance camp is reserved for the best under-16 and under-18 league players in the country.

Each year NZRL invite top coaches to speak to the boys with Canterbury Bulldogs coach Des Hasler attending last year and Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson visiting in 2013.

Kearney will speak to the 80-strong group of players tomorrow night and will also take a training session at the Rotorua International Stadium on Monday.

The training camp runs for four days and is based at the Rotorua International Stadium and Keswick Christian Camp with trial matches held on the final day of the camp on Wednesday.

Players in the under-18 division at the camp will be chasing selection for the New Zealand under-18 team which will travel to Brisbane for a series against Australian Schools in September and October.

There are no international matches this year for the New Zealand under-16 team.

Education at the camp is not just confined to on-field coaching. A major focus of the camp is preparing players for the increased pressure on them to perform off the field, especially when it comes to signing contracts and relocating from home.