It didn’t take long for Shawn Blore to make his presence known in first grade when he took on Nathan Brown in a fiery clash during his debut NRL appearance in Round 11 of the 2020 season.
The Wests Tigers forward went on to play five matches off the interchange bench in his opening year at the top level, having an average of 60 run metres and 18 tackles per game.
Blore’s eventual debut was not a to many given his accomplishments at junior representative level, captaining Penrith’s title winning SG Ball team in 2018 and later earning selection in the victorious New South Wales Under-18s and Junior Kangaroos.
After rising to prominence in the junior grades the back-rower made five appearances in the NSW Cup for Penrith across 2018 and 2019 before moving on to the Tigers.
What was even more pleasing for the Tigers’ new recruit in 2020 was his impression on renowned hard taskmaster Michael Maguire, which saw the 20-year-old sign on with the Tigers until the end of 2023.
With several changes to Maguire’s forward stocks over the off-season, 2021 provides a huge opportunity for Blore to nail down a starting spot in the Wests Tigers’ line-up as they push to make the finals for the first time since 2011.
From his handful of games at the top level in 2020, Blore showed that he certainly won’t back down from his more experienced opposition in the middle of the park, and that approach to the game can go a long way towards achieving success next season and beyond.
