In the belly of rural New South Wales, where the sheep outnumber the streetlights and rugby league pulses through the veins of small towns like Young, Hardy Glover (pictured) grew up dreaming of bigger fields.
At just 18, the fleet-footed outside back from the Young Cherrypickers has turned those dreams into reality, earning a spot in the Canberra Raiders’ 2026 SG Ball Cup pre-season squad—an elite proving ground for tomorrow’s NRL stars.
Announced on the Raiders’ official website, the 37-player group reads like a roll call of regional talent, with Glover’s name standing tall among the likes of Erindale College products and Queensland imports. But for those who know the Young lad’s story, his inclusion is no surprise. It’s the payoff of a gritty journey rooted in the Group 9 heartland, where Glover first laced up for the Cherrypickers as a 10-year-old scoring tries in local junior town comps back in 2017.
“From dusty ovals to the bright lights of GIO Stadium—it’s a hell of a leap,” said Raiders Pathways Manager Tim Wykes in a recent club update celebrating the academy’s regional impact.
Wykes’ words ring especially true for Glover, whose path echoes the club’s mission to “give back” to far-flung towns like Young, Wagga Wagga, and Griffith. The Raiders’ male pathways program, now in its fourth year, boasts a staggering 98% academy-sourced Harold Matthews squad and 89% pathways origin for the SG Ball side—numbers that underscore how talents like Glover are fueling a semi-final run in 2025 and eyeing deeper finals in 2026.
Glover’s breakthrough came in 2024, a season that cemented his status as Young’s golden boy. He claimed the prestigious Weissel Medal as the Group 9 Under 18s Best and Fairest player, honouring a legacy named after Riverina legend Eric Weissel. But Glover didn’t stop at juniors. Mid-season, at the tender age of 17, Cherrypickers captain-coach Tom Giles thrust him into first-grade waters—debuting in Round 15 against a tough opponent, bypassing reserves entirely.
“I just thought it was the right opportunity to throw him in there,” Giles told the press in a feature that captured Glover’s electric arrival. “He played a full season with Canberra’s Harold Matts, scored some tries there and played everywhere for them—centre, wing, five-eighth—so he’s more than capable.”
Giles’ faith paid dividends. Glover dazzled in the outside backs, bring-ing the “polish” from his Raiders preseason stint—speed that burned defenders, safe hands under the high ball, and a defensive bite honed on Young’s unforgiving turf. He featured in about five to seven senior games that year, helping the Cherrypickers charge to an unbeaten minor premiership and their first Group 9 title since 1991, a grand final triumph over the Wagga Kangaroos.
Reflecting on that whirlwind debut, Glover didn’t mince words about his Young roots fueling the fire. “My goal for this year was to play first grade,” he said in the interview back in 2024. “I wanted to get into that first-grade team and to be given the opportunity I’ve got now—I feel putting in all the effort has paid off. “The Raiders experience? “It was phenomenal,” Glover added. “I loved everything about it, and it was good learning heaps of new things and being back to bring it back to the ‘Pickers and have it brush off onto how we train.”
That humility, straight from a kid raised in Young’s tight-knit footy community, endeared him to the green machine’s scouts. It also snagged him the Don Furner Senior NSW Country Scholarship in 2024, named after the Raiders’ legendary coach and a nod to the country kids who grind without the Canberra spotlight.
Glover’s rep honours tell the rest: Man of the Match in the 2023 Group 9 U16 Sullivan Cup grand final, where his Cherrypickers side toppled the Wagga Kangaroos 28-6; a starring role for the Monaro Colts in the ASSRL Under 18s Championships. Versatile enough to slot anywhere in the backline, he’s the embodiment of Group 9 toughness—country grit wrapped in professional potential. Now, as pre-season looms for the 2026 SG Ball campaign, Glover returns to Canberra not as a wide-eyed junior but as a polished product of Young’s fields.
With the Raiders’ academy restarting on November 17 and relocation support easing the transition for a dozen SG Ball hopefuls, Glover’s story is a beacon for the next wave of Riverina talents. From scoring kiddie tries under Young’s big sky to chasing NRL dreams, he’s proof that the best paths often start on the back-blocks.
Raiders fans, keep an eye on No. [jersey TBD] Glover—he’s got the speed, the smarts, and the heart of a Cherrypicker. And Young? They’re already buzzing, ready to claim him as their own when he comes home to inspire the next generation on those same dusty ovals.
– Tully Potts
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