Stratton on the fast track to NRL career

JOELRITCHIE

BLACKBUTT'S Ben Stratton has secured a contract with the NRL's Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks"?just over a year after taking up rugby league.

Stratton, 15, recently inked a three-year deal with the Sharks after starting his league career with their Shellharbour City namesakes halfway through the 2006 season.

The accomplished soccer player played his first game of league for Warilla High before being recruited to join Shellharbour's under 14s by coach Glen Bayo.

Fast forward to this year's Combined High Schools (CHS) rugby league trials in Toronto, where Stratton was spotted by Cronulla assistant coach/academy manager Craig Wilson.

Wilson beat St George-Illawarra and other NRL franchises for the fullback's signature.

Stratton said he chose the Sharks for their reputation of grooming juniors and the club's proximity to his home.

"It was just a good deal " the Sharks treat their juniors well and they are close to home," he said.

Stratton will start training with the Sharks' Harold Matthews Cup outfit in November before the season starts early next year.

He will also be given a fitness/workout regime to do from home.

The Sharks have a policy that all contracted juniors must work or study to play football with the club.

Stratton's parents, Ralph and Fiona, contracted player-manager Andrew Purcell to handle the rush of interest from NRL clubs.

The youngster said that he wants to take his league career as far as possible.

"It's all worked out well, if I had my way I would have been playing league years ago," Stratton said.

Pursuing an NRL career means the end of another sporting career for Stratton " he plays for Oak Flats Junior Soccer Club in a three-time state Champion of Champions team.

However, after this season he will have to leave soccer behind as he chases his NRL dream.

Stratton, a life-long Parramatta supporter, has made the trip to Toyota Park to meet first grade coach Ricky Stuart.

His links to the Sharks don't end there " Sharks first grader Craig Stapleton lives in the same street.

This season, Stratton represented South Coast at the CRL carnival in Cootamundra, the Southern NSW CHS team and the Illawarra Academy of Sport squad, in addition to being an elite sprinter.

Ben said he would like to thank Shellharbour City Sharks coaches Glen Bayo, Craig Baxter and Ben Fields for their help in developing his young but so far fruitful rugby league career.