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Hart played against Tetairoa McMillan, the reigning NFL offensive rookie of the year. (Getty Images: Kara Durette)<\/p>\n
JSerra play in the Trinity League against foes like Mater Dei High, which has won five national championships in the past decade and is considered one of the best athletic schools in the entire country.<\/p>\n
Hart himself got to mix it against Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Mason Graham, a top-five pick in last year’s draft, who both went to local rivals Servite High School.<\/p>\n
“It was an amazing experience. The athletes and programs over there are world-class; getting to do it at such a young age was amazing,” Hart said.<\/p>\n
“You’re playing against future college players, future NFL draft picks \u2014 it helped me mature and understand where you have to be to compete at that level.<\/p>\n
“It’s helped me coming here as well, understanding what it takes to mix it with blokes like Haumole [Olakau’atu] and Turbo [Tom Trbojevic] and what it takes keep up with them on the training paddock.”<\/p>\n
Following the two years away, Hart’s family returned to Australia and settled in Brisbane, with Hart becoming a star breakaway at Nudgee.<\/p>\n
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Hart has spent the summer training with Manly’s top squad. (Supplied: Manly Media\/Joel Seeto)<\/p>\n
After he helped lead the school to consecutive GPS premierships, Manly came calling.<\/p>\n
“I was looking at maybe going to Western Australia or playing colts footy in Brisbane but Seibs (Manly coach Anthony Seibold) is from Rocky and so is my dad,” Hart said.<\/p>\n
“A family friend recommended me to the club and Peter [Gentle, the club’s head of football and recruitment] got in contact.<\/p>\n
“He came up for a game and I only played about five minutes but he reckons he watched some film as well, I had a chat with him and he offered me a contract.<\/p>\n
“It’s a great opportunity to come here.”<\/p>\n
The key stat behind every NRL team in 2026<\/a><\/p>\n With the preseason challenge well underway and the season-opening matches in Las Vegas on the horizon, find out the key numbers that will make or break your team’s NRL chances for 2026.<\/p>\n Once he landed at Brookvale, Hart wasted no time in proving himself to be a player of considerable promise, with his speed and nose for the tryline standing out.<\/p>\n After just nine matches \u2014 four in SG Ball and five in Jersey Flegg \u2014 he was playing reserve grade, finishing the season with five tries in 11 games against players more than a decade his senior.<\/a><\/p>\n “It was my first year in league so I wasn’t sure how I’d go. My goal for the year was to maybe play one or two games in reserve grade but I got that shot early and I was really thankful for it,” Hart said.<\/p>\n “I was playing against guys who’d played a lot of NRL, someone like Chad Townsend has 200-odd NRL games and I grew up watching him so it was pretty surreal.<\/p>\n “I felt like I handled the physicality pretty well, it’s just the little things you learn playing league like the wrestle, which I wasn’t used to. I learned a lot as the year went on.”<\/p>\n