Coaching a young Jamie Humphreys, former Adam Dykes used to overhear parents and spectators commenting about the youngster’s ability – and hulking physique.
Dykes, the former Cronulla playmaker, won multiple titles with the De La Salle club in the Shire – perhaps not surprising, considering his side boasted Humphreys, Sharks winger Sam Stonestreet and his own son, Cronulla fullback Kade Dykes.
“When he was 11, 12 and 13, Jamie had a body like a bloody 18-year-old,” Dykes told this masthead. “All the kids from the Shire were these little skinny kids, but here was Jamie, built like an adonis at 13.”
Stonestreet and Humphreys will go head to head the first time in the NRL on Saturday afternoon, when the unbeaten Bunnies head to PointsBet Stadium to face the Sharks.
“It’s going to be exciting to see Jamie and Sam play,” Dykes said. “Sam was a beach sprinter, he was always fast. Jamie was one of the most talented kids I’ve ever seen.
“The biggest thing with Jamie was he was always super talented, but it was more his determination. He had something under the bonnet not many kids had.
Jamie Humphreys and Sam Stonestreet won multiple premierships as kids with De La Salle.
“The three of them were in a very good side. They were easy to coach because you only had to tell them something once.
“In terms of Jamie, he just had something in terms of his will and desire. I’d run the water out to him, he was exhausted, but he refused to lose.
“Sam played centre, Jamie played centre, and Kade was five-eighth. Sam was fast, Kade was talented, but Jamie was the star. Everyone in the Shire knew about Jamie Humphreys when he was a young kid.”
Humphreys will wear the Souths No. 7 jersey for the third week, having been the hero against St George Illawarra last weekend when he calmly slotted the winning field-goal from 30 metres out.
Stonestreet, who recalled some hard-fought sprint duels on the beach with Humphreys when they were nippers at Cronulla Surf Club, expected Humphreys’ left boot to send plenty of bombs towards his wing.
“I’ll look for him in the line when I run it back,” Stonestreet said on Tuesday. “We played a lot of games back in the day, won a few comps, and he was a freak back in the day.
“He’s always been stocky, well-mannered, while his family are also awesome people. He’s stepped up playing halfback, and he’s doing well.”
Humphreys left the Shire when he was 13 and spent five years in England after his father, former Wests Tigers and Manly chief executive Stephen Humphreys, started a new job in London. He returned to Sydney and spent a few years in Manly’s system before joining Souths over the summer.
“I thought he’d progress into a hooker more than a half,” Dykes said. “I still think he’ll end up a really good hooker because he has a great left foot, can ball-play – but that’s not to say he won’t kick arse at halfback.”
NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now
Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.
