Ben Ross

Ben Ross played junior league with the Nambour Crushers, before signing with the St George Illawarra Dragons, on the condition they put him through university.

He also worked early mornings on a garbage run when he first came to Sydney, from Blackwater, where his father ran a news agency.

Ross made his NRL debut for the Dragons in 2002, before signing with the Penrith Panthers the following year. He was an interchange forward in the Panthers' 18-6 win over the Roosters in the 2003 grand final, and the following year made his State of Origin debut off the bench, playing all three games, and following up in 2005 by again playing the entire series.

Everyone has that aspiration of playing Origin football.

Ben Ross FOG #144

In 2004 and 2005 he also represented the Prime Minister's XIII, in Papua New Guinea. Ross joined Cronulla Sharks in 2006.

On the night of March 14, 2009, Ross compressed and fractured his C4 and C5 vertebrae in a tackle while playing for Cronulla, against Penrith, with doctors telling him he was lucky not to be a quadriplegic.

Ross defied the odds and returned to football with South Sydney in 2011, and then had two more seasons with Cronulla. He was set to play in the English Super League with London Broncos, when the chance came to work for the Men of League Foundation in Sydney, as a welfare manager. He became the Foundation's State Manager, before taking on a role as a Community Ambassador for the NRL.

His next role was back at Cronulla, as head of membership and merchandising.