'More than a game': Former teammates ready themselves for Liam Hampson Cup
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When Jarrett Boland ran onto the field last year for the inaugural Liam Hampson Cup, it was one of the first times in his career where he was not chasing the two points.
He was not worried about the outcome of the game against the Tweed Seagulls. Where his team, the Redcliffe Dolphins, sat on the Hostplus Cup ladder did not matter. For him, it almost felt like the competition was on pause.
All that mattered to Boland was playing for his mate, who had tragically passed eight months earlier in an accident while holidaying in Spain.
While they had only played together for one season at the Dolphins, they had clicked instantly and Boland still remembers how it felt to be part of the inaugural Liam Hampson Cup.
“It was spine-tingling stuff,” the Dolphins forward said.
“Walking out with corduroy hats on - because he always wore corduroy – side-by-side with Tweed, who played a massive part in his career, seeing his family out there, it put the competition sort of outside us for a day.
“We weren’t playing for two points but for his family, his name, what he meant to us. It was more than a game of footy.”
The Dolphins and Seagulls will vie for the Liam Hampson Cup again this Sunday, with Redcliffe hosting for the first time at Kayo Stadium.
Hampson played 26 games for Tweed across three years before moving north to Redcliffe, where he played one season – including a grand final – before he passed away.
Boland will come off the bench this Sunday and hopes it will be even bigger than last year.
Match: Dolphins v Seagulls
Round 16 -
home Team
Dolphins
4th Position
away Team
Seagulls
13th Position
Venue: Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe
“I’m expecting even more,” he said.
“We’ve got a few people at our club that have bought into it. Even though the ones who didn’t know him, they said they feel like they do because of what they’ve heard.
“It’s our turn this year. We get our home game and we want to make sure everyone turns up. His family is excited, we’re excited and (coach) Ben (Te’o) has really embraced it.
“(CEO) Scott Clarke is getting behind it… it feels pretty special already.”
Boland – who works at Clontarf Beach State High School - said his time with Hampson was short, but it was a period he was always treasure.
They were alike in a few ways, both studying education and both with similar values.
But, for the 26-year-old, Hampson was on another level compared to him.
And that has helped Boland make changes in his life for the better.
“We met Liam in the pre-season at the end of ‘22 and start of ’23,” Boland said.
“Everyone knew straight away that he was a special sort of fella, the spark in the room. He fit in straight away. I don’t know how to quite word it but you felt his presence every time he was in the room.
“Through working hard and overcoming a bit of adversity with injuries, he found his way into the team. We loved playing with him, playing for him.
“Him and I clicked. He got along with my partner, he was coming around for dinners. We were both studying to be teachers and worked with the same sort of kids in the Peninsula area. I think our values aligned in that aspect.
“He was honest and he was always the first person to be open for a chat. If something wasn’t good, have a chat about it. He got rid of the stigma of men don’t talk.
“He wanted to appreciate the day and have gratitude and empathy and mindfulness and things we should be encouraging for everyone growing up. He wasn’t necessarily ahead of his time but he was bucking the norm.
“I thought they were things I was doing but he took it to the next level. He showed me you can do it everyday, you can do it with anyone, not just the people you’re closest to.
“He opened a few of our eyes to just how simple and honest an open conversation can be. I feel like I’ve known him forever but it was 12 months. To have that impact is pretty impressive.”
Boland is now an ambassador for Hampo's Youth Foundation, which is run by Hampson’s family.
Him and Dolphins NRL enforcer Tom Gilbert mentor a young boy from Redcliffe High named Khan, providing guidance to him with their experience from completing the NRL playbook.
It is an honour for Boland to be part of the foundation, but it has also helped him in his grieving process, especially as he’s watched Hampson’s family work day in and day out to keep the former hooker’s legacy alive.
“Everyone grieves in different ways, different rates, different speeds,” he said.
“Seeing his family and what they did in creating the foundation for him, and how productive they were in using this to make a change, it kicked the rest of us into gear.
“It gave everyone else strength to see how they were coping with things. To have a chance to put back into the youth and into kids, to be passionate and pushing the values he believed in, it’s a really cool opportunity.
“You see his mum, dad and stepparents coming together for the greater good of continuing his legacy and it makes the grieving easier.”
When Boland runs out at Kayo Stadium on Sunday, he knows that once again he won’t be chasing the two competition points.
As important as they are – and as nice as it would be to get the win – all he wants to do is play in the spirit of Hampson and make his little mate proud.
“The way he played was that a 10/10 effort isn’t enough,” Boland said.
“You have to give more than that. You have to go beyond.
“For me, it’s just about going out there and asking myself, how did Liam play and how can I emulate that and do the best for my team? How can I make him proud and myself proud?
“If all 17 of us do that on the day, it’s a win. I’m really excited.”
The Liam Hampson Cup will be broadcast live and free on Qplus.tv, Kayo Freebies and 9Now.
