Three young guns included in NSW U/20s Pathways Camp Squad

Three Wests Tigers players have been included in the upcoming New South Wales Under-20s pathways camp this weekend at Narrabeen.

Matthew Lodge, Salesi Funaki and Matthew Woods have all been included in the 34-man camp squad, which is designed to give young up-and-coming players a taste of what it means to play State of Origin for their state and the effort required to achieve at that level.

The two-day Pathways Camp at Narrabeen kicks off on Friday with New South Wales Blues coach Laurie Daley at the helm. Players will participate in training and skills work and also enjoy sessions on the type of attitude and high performance required for State of Origin delivered by several guest speakers, with Daley speaking highly of the camp.

“These youngsters represent the future for New South Wales,” said Daley.

“If we want to be successful long-term with State of Origin we have to provide the pathways for our elite juniors. Recognising our rising stars and giving them a taste of what it means to play State of Origin and the preparation needed on and off the field is vital.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for these young players and the sessions we’ve organised are with some of the high-performance team members who helped the NSW VB Blues achieve their State of Origin goals.”

Funaki and Lodge both featured in the 2014 Pathways Camp, with the latter going on to make his first-grade debut in Round 17 against the Penrith Panthers.

Lodge also played in the NSW Under-20's State of Origin team earlier this year.

Funaki and Woods are both yet to make thier first-grade debut, but with the former stepping up to full-time training in 2015 and the latter continuing to develop into a fine lock and second-row forward, the future is clearly bright for both players.

Check out the full squad for the 2015 Under 20's Origin Pathways Camp below.

Unite. Commit. Achieve. Show your support in season 2015 by becoming a member today!