Ipswich Jets five-eighth Julian Christian has returned to his debut club this season, as he prepares to play his 50th game for Ipswich against the Northern Pride this weekend.
Christian will be the 62nd Jet to play 50 games for Ipswich.
First suiting up for Ipswich in 2017, after nine games for the Broncos Toyota Cup team. Christian was allocated to the Jets and ventured west hoping to play Colts, but the Jets coaches at the time, Ben and Shane Walker, had other ideas and soon the hot-stepping half was playing Hostplus Cup against the Mackay Cutters off the bench.
Scoring on debut, his try gave his side the lead over the Cutters, but unfortunately he couldn’t will the Jets to a win on his debut, as the Jets would fall 30-20 upon the full time whistle.
“I remember my debut at the North Ipswich Reserve against the Mackay Cutters,” Christian remembered.
“I came to Ipswich expecting to play Colts but Ben and Shane grabbed me and threw me in with the Cup side, I was so excited it wasn’t long after that I made my debut.
“Number 14 and just the players in that team, Michael Purcell, Nat Neale, Dane Phillips.
“That’s the thing I remember, so many older guys who were such a great help to me.
“Great role models.
“To me that’s what the Jets are about, older players helping out and that’s what I want to do now.”
When it comes to the highlights of those 49 games for the Jets, Christian recalls his second game in which he bagged a hat-trick against the Central Queensland Capras.
“Last round and we beat the Capras 44-4, and I scored three tries, that’s a pretty good second game and first game starting in Cup.”
Of Christian’s 40 Hostplus Cup tries over half has been scored at the Jets with 24.
Christian has returned to Ipswich and sees similarities with the start in 2017.
“Tye and Trig have created such a great atmosphere here this year,” Christian said.
“They really care, just like Ben and Shane Walker, they want you to be better on and off the field.
“The Jets got away from that, but now it’s coming back, and I really want to be part of it.
“Wanting to be at games, wanting to be at training – those are the traits of the best teams and that’s what we want to build Ipswich.
“It’s been hard for the Jets for a while, but I can really feel that we are coming out of that, and I am so proud to be part of it.”
Christian is a Hostplus Cup premiership winner, and he wants to bring that same championship mentality to help guide the young Jets in his squad – carrying on the same leadership which was shown to him at the start of his career in Ipswich.
