The distance from Bishop Park to Goondiwindi is 360 kilometres as the crow flies, but for Connor Broadhurst the journey has taken 200 games, 49 tries and a decade of hard work.
Broadhurst made his debut in the Hostplus Cup in 2015, running out for the Burleigh Bears against the Norths Devils at Bishop Park.
This Sunday Broadhurst will run out for the 200th time, though this weekend he’s wearing the Green and White of Ipswich as he takes on the Red and White Dolphins in Goondiwindi.
The average tenure of a Hostplus Cup player is 27.5 games, with Broadhurst achieving over seven times the average games played in a career.
In his 199 games, Broadhurst has represented the Burleigh Bears, Norths Devils, Central Queensland Capras, Wynnum Manly Seagulls and now the Ipswich Jets.
Of the nearly 5000 players who have played in this competition, Broadhurst joins a select club of 19 players who have played 200 matches.
“I didn’t set out to play 200 games, all the clubs I have played for have contributed and play their role,” Broadhurst reflected.
“It’s been great to play 10 years in the Hostplus Cup,"
In addition to his Hostplus Cup career, Broadhurst played 51 games of Under 20’s for the Parramatta Eels and Gold Coast Titans, with NRL dreams at the forefront of his mind.
“You want to play NRL, but playing 200 games in the next best competition is something I am very proud of."
Broadhurst has won three premierships during his career, though he’s unable to choose a favourite one.
“They’re all special for different reasons.” Broadhurst explained.
“The first premiership with the Bears, I was only 22, so it was very exciting, but you can take it for granted.
“We had such a great team, and to beat Redcliffe at Lang Park in a Grand Final is such a great memory.
“Then being able to win back-to-back premierships with Norths, I knew Rohan Smith well and was able to play six alongside Tyrone Roberts where we beat a great Wynnum Manly side in 2021.
“Come 2022 we lost Rohan Smith in Round Seven, so things weren’t looking great as far as a title defence goes, but we were able to pull it together to beat Redcliffe at their home ground.”
Norths Devils coach Rohan Smith acknowledges the contribution of Broadhurst to his own coaching career and the Devils.
“I got Broady to the Devils after knowing him from the Titans,” Smith said.
“He was part of our rebuild from 2019—super reliable, consistent and great club guy.
“I have thanked him because he’s enabled me to take on coaching opportunities because of his contribution to my career, he’s just that sort of player.”
Along the way Broadhurst has played with some of the best the Hostplus Cup has to offer with Jack Ahearn, the Norths Devils three-time premiership winner, playing a big part in Broadhurst’s career.
The two Devils have played together 82 times.
“Connor has made every place he’s been at better, and that’s because he’s smart, a good role model and a great footballer,” Ahearn said.
“He’s never been beaten in a Grand Final; he reminds me about that all the time, and he played two positions in premierships.
“That’s how you know you’ve got a good player.
“He was always in the leadership group at Norths.
“In my opinion he should have played NRL.
“Between Cup and Under 20’s that’s 250 games of high-quality high-level football which is a long time.
The Connor Broadhurst Hostplus Cup story isn’t a simple narrative.
The fact a young centre played game one at Bishop Park and game 200 at Goondiwindi as a five-eighth is the only way it can be told in full; all 360 kilometres, 200 games and 10 years of a career.
