BULLDOGS player and former Forster boy Jamal Idris has scored himself the highest indigenous accolade in the country at this year’s Deadly Awards.
The 20-year-old was elected by his peers for Outstanding Achievement in NRL at the 16th annual National Indigenous Music, Sport, Entertainment and Community Awards.
The Deadlys is Australia’s largest Indigenous award’s night combining 28 award categories from Outstanding Achievement in Literature to best Television Show of the Year and Indigenous Health Worker of the Year.
“The Deadly’s deliver a strong and healthy message to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community – that, hopefully, is an inspiration to young Indigenous Australians, indeed Indigenous Australians across the country,” executive producer Gavin Jones said.
Idris was selected for his stellar performance since bursting onto the rugby league radar in late 2008 after making his NRL debut for the Bulldogs. Standing at 192cm and weighing in at over 100kg, his imposing stature and long dreadlocks, coupled with explosive speed, power and athletic ability, ensured Jamal didn’t go unnoticed in his first full year in the NRL in 2009.
Rarely publicised Idris was a world-ranked junior athlete who held numerous records in discus, javelin and shotput. He was a member of the Australian team that competed in the World Youth Championships in the Czech Republic in July 2007.
A year later he began the 2008 season playing in the Bulldogs SG Ball side, scoring 10 tries before getting the call-up to play in the U20s National Youth Competition against the Wests Tigers. Making his NRL debut for the Bulldogs in Round 24 against Parramatta he learned of his first grade promotion less than 30 minutes after finishing a trial HSC exam. That year he made the all Australian School Boys three test series and represented the Australian Indigenous team in 2008.
He began the 2009 season in sensational form, scoring twice in the season opener against Manly. Playing mostly in the centres, he finished a breakthrough season with 19 NRL games under his belt and seven tries, and was named NRL Rookie of the Year.
In 2010, Idris has continued to develop into one of the game’s most promising young stars, with his first taste of rep football, playing for Country Origin, he also earned a call-up into the New South Wales team for game one of the State of Origin series.
“It is a fantastic achievement to receive a Deadly award and all of last night’s winners have shown great leadership, talent and commitment in their fields,” minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin said.
“This year the public showed their strong support for the nominees with a record 29,000 votes received.”
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