It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for recent Wests Tigers debutant Charlie Murray after making his NRL debut in Round 14 against the Panthers.
The hard-working forward joined Wests Tigers ahead of the 2025 season and has now capped off a winding journey to the top grade, via Narromine, Sydney, Queensland, and back again.
Born in Narromine, Murray grew up in Laurieton on the Mid North Coast of NSW. A Camden Haven Eagles junior, Charlie moved to Sydney as a teenager to pursue his shot at the big time, but initially, things didn’t go to plan.
“I moved to Sydney when I was 16 for a crack with the Eels in Harold Matthews, but then I had a back injury,” Murray explained.
“I moved back to Port Macquarie, then to the Gold Coast for school, and eventually had another crack in Sydney.
“I didn’t enjoy my time in Sydney at all back then. This time I was a bit more mature, a bit older, with a bit more life experience.”
During his time in the Sunshine State, his Queensland Cup experiences saw him have stints training with the Storm and Titans, as well as achieve premiership glory with the Brisbane Tigers in 2023.
But after a tough stint with Burleigh last year, he felt his NRL dream may have been beginning to stall.
“ Besides my debut last week, winning that Grand Final was the best footy experience I've ever had.
“ But it was more so the last year, I was just thinking, ‘Oh, I might just get stuck in Queensland Cup’, because last year didn't go the way I wanted to at all.”
“ Looking back now though, those lessons helped me so much and gave me all that resilience and a bit of adversity. Those things helped shape me and my character, so it was a blessing that I actually went through all those hardships.”
Playing the early rounds of the 2025 season with Western Suburbs Magpies, Murray impressed plenty with his effort plays and reliability.
And after finally hitting the top grade two weeks ago, the emotions ran high.
“ I only played 25 minutes, but in that time, the fatigue and the speed of it was just another level. I’ve got to get used to that intensity and doing it at a consistent level now.
“ The week itself just went super fast. A lot of emotions, the phone was off the hook and I was just very thankful for everyone who reached out and showed they cared.
You dream of being able to tell your family that you're playing NRL and you’ve got your foot in the door, and now I can say I've done it.
Charlie Murray
Now back in the Magpies side, Murray has helped contribute to Wests’ good run of recent form, and despite the 23-year-old’s NRL dream being achieved, he says nothing changes.
“ Internally, nothing changes for me.
“Which sounds weird but I've just got to do my job on the weekend.
“I still talk to the same five people I talked to before that so I try not to change too much.”
