Two-game NRL prop Eddie Blacker will reportedly shift to Queensland for the 2024 season in an attempt to fight his way back onto a Top 30 roster.
Blacker, who played for the junior New South Wales State of Origin team and was rated as one of the better prospects in the game, has failed to reach any of his potential at the age of 23, making just two NRL appearances.
He has been a mainstay at New South Wales Cup level for the Penrith Panthers since switching to the club in the middle of 2021, having previously been given his NRL debut with the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2020.
News Corp is now reporting, however, that Blacker, instead of remaining at the Panthers for 2024, or even linking up with the North Queensland Cowboys on a reportedly offered development deal, will take a job as a concreter in Brisbane and link up on a QLD Cup deal with the Norths Devils.
The semi-professional contract will allow Blacker to live in the place he grew up surrounded by family and aim for a strong run of form that could allow him to push for an NRL spot in 2025.
The forward, who stands at almost two metres tall, has been one of the better performers in the NSW Cup and could go to another level in the QLD-based competition before pushing for an NRL contract.
The Devils were part of the QLD Cup's game of musical chairs in recent times and will be linked up with the Dolphins for 2024, having previously been an affiliate of the Brisbane Broncos.
The Dolphins will be in a spot where forwards need replenishment in the near future, with a host of experienced campaigners in Jesse Bromwich, Mark Nicholls, Felise Kaufusi and Kenneath Bromwich approaching the back-end of their careers.
