J'maine Hopgood

J’maine Hopgood was born in Hervey Bay in Queensland. He played his junior rugby league with the local team Hervey Bay Seagulls before later moving to Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast at age 16. 

In 2017, Hopgood began his journey towards first grade, captaining Penrith’s SG Ball under 18s team in his first season with the club. Later in the year Hopgood was selected to represent Queensland Under 18s team. 

In 2019, Hopgood represented Queensland again playing for the Under 20s team that also featured fellow Maroons players Murray Tualagi, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, and Tom Gilbert. 

In 2021, Hopgood was promoted to Penrith’s top 30-man NRL squad and later made his debut in Round 10 against the Gold Coast Titans. 

“It’s a dream come true and if you had asked the little eight-year-old kid ... I wouldn’t know what to say”

J'maine Hopgood FOG #231

The following year, Hopgood captained Penrith’s NSW Cup team to a 2022 Premiership, before also captaining the side to a NRL State Championship victory over Norths Devils on Grand Final Day.

Hopgood would play a further 8 games for the Panthers before signing with the Parramatta Eels in 2023. He kicked off the year being named to represent the Indigenous All Stars and went on to have a successful season with the Eels, which saw him selected in the Queensland Maroons squad for Game III. 

After outstanding form with the Eels, Hopgood was selected to make his debut for the Maroons in Game I of the 2024 State of Origin series. However, the Eels forward was unavailable for the remainder of the series due to succumbing to a back injury.