Robert Derby
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 7 March 2002 Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 99 kg (15 st 8 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 10 November 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Robert Derby (born 7 March 2002) is a Papua New Guinea international rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Background
[edit]Derby was born in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea and lived in Mendi, Goroka, Mount Hagen and Vietnam before moving to Cairns when he was eight years old. He lived in Mendi at the Works compound Tente and Magani area.[2]
He played his junior rugby league for Cairns Brothers and completed the majority of his schooling at St Augustine's College.[citation needed]
In 2019, he was signed by the Melbourne Storm and moved to the Sunshine Coast to play for feeder club Sunshine Coast Falcons. [3][4] As part of his relocation, he attended Unity College, Caloundra and was a part of the rugby league academy at the school.[citation needed]
Playing career
[edit]In 2020, Derby joined the Sunshine Coast Falcons, playing just one Mal Meninga Cup game before the season was cancelled due to COVID-19.[5]
In 2021, he returned to Cairns, joining the Northern Pride's under-21 side and the North Queensland Cowboys Young Guns squad.[6]
In 2022, Derby spent the season playing for the Pride's Queensland Cup side, scoring seven tries in 16 games.[7] On 25 June 2022, he made his international debut for Papua New Guinea in their 24-14 victory over Fiji.[8]
On 16 November 2022, Derby joined the Cowboys' NRL squad for the 2023 season.[9]
2023
[edit]Derby began the season playing for the Townsville Blackhawks in the Queensland Cup.[10] In round 13 of the 2023 NRL season, Derby made his first grade debut against the Parramatta Eels.[11][12]
References
[edit]- ^ Rugby League Project
- ^ "Meet PNG Kumuls Debutants - Robert Derby". PNG Today. 4 June 2022.
- ^ "Robert Derby honoured with PNG Kumuls debut in midyear Test". Cairns Post. 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Robert Derby signs with Melbourne Storm". Cairns Post. 20 August 2019.
- ^ "Derby, Fonoti, set to impress for Northern Pride's colts". Cairns Post. 7 April 2021.
- ^ "Hastings Deering Colts TEAMS - 2021 Round 5". League Unlimited. 11 May 2021.
- ^ "Three Cowboys contracted players run for 170+ metres in Hostplus Cup". NQ Cowboys. 23 May 2022.
- ^ "Papua New Guinea v Fiji". National Rugby League. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "Five Young Guns elevated to NRL squad for 2023". NQ Cowboys. 16 November 2022.
- ^ "Friends set to face off". The National. 11 May 2023.
- ^ "Cowboys team list: Round 13 v Eels". NQ Cowboys. 23 May 2023.
- ^ "Brown's stunner as Eels unearth hidden gem; star leads Cowboys transformation: Big hits". www.foxsports.com.au. 26 May 2023.