Shute Shield Rugby Union: Hamish Moore feeling right at home with Hunter Wildfires

Australia beat the Junior All Blacks 18-14 - their first win over the Kiwis since 2012 - and were also triumphant against Fiji 39-7 and the Kiwi Baa-Baas 30-17.

Rising Roosters superstar Joseph Sua'ali'i played on the wing. Billy Pollard. Daniel Botha, Reesjan Pasitoa, Josh Flook and Zane Nonggorr have all gone on to feature in Super Rugby.

Moore was in the NSW Waratahs system and on a similar trajectory.

However, there was one major obstacle - city life.

After finishing school at Scots College, Moore spent two years at Easts but 'hated" the Sydney rat race.

Moore longed to be home on the family property, 'Walma', a 1200-acre cattle, wheat and cotton farm 15 kilometres outside of Walgett in western NSW.

"I struggled in Sydney to fit in," Moore said. "I needed to get out and about in the bush every now and then. Just get away. I quite like fishing and have a few dogs. My mates at home are like minded. Stuff like that, I struggled with."

It proved too big an impost.

Easts coach Pauli Taumoepeau suggested Moore try playing for the Wildfires, but the burnt out 21-year-old returned home.

Each week, he travelled 182 kilometres east to Narrabri for his rugby fix, turning out for the Blue Boars in the Central North competition.

"I had it in my head that I would try and get back into it," Moore said. "Have a year off and get the hunger back."

Wildfires breakaway Donny Freeman played alongside Moore at Easts and is a close friend. Freeman finished third in the Catchpole Medal for the Shute Shield player of the year in 2022. Freeman's breakout season coincided with the rise of Moore's Aussie Schoolboys teammates.

"I thought, if they can do it, I can do it," Moore said. ''I had spoken with [Wildfires coach] Bubba Coleman the year before but I wasn't ready. He rang me again and here I am. I'm loving it. It is a completely different feel to a Sydney club. Everyone comes up and introduces themselves and makes you feel wanted. It is like playing bush footy but at a higher standard."

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Moore, whose dad James played NSW Country alongside Steve Merrick and a host of Newcastle players, is working and living on a cattle property near Cessnock.

After playing the past four matches off the bench, Moore will make his run-on debut for the Wildfires against Warringah at Pittwater Park on Saturday.

"Hamish a great player and a champion human," Coleman said.

"We are focusing on bringing good footballers here, but more so good humans off the field. That is what we are trying to build the club on. He fits that mould.

"On the field, he only knows one speed and that's 100 miles an hour. He is hard on the ball, will put his head where others won't and he is aggressive."

Moore is one of three quality hookers alongside Phil Bradford and Andrew Tuala in the Wildfires' squad.

"If we want to win this competition, we need the three of them," Coleman said. "This week we are playing Warringah who are more of an ad-lib counter attack team. To have Donny and Hamish, who plays like a seven, on the field suits us better."

Coleman hopes to lure more players from the bush looking for an opportunity.

"Country kids who don't want to live in Sydney can still compete at the highest level," he said. "They can come here and work on a farm 50 minutes out of town. You have to create an environment off the field to make sure they can perform on the field."

Reinvigorated, Moore is shooting high.

"My ultimate goal is to play for Australia," he said. 'If I could get a few games there, then I'd be pretty happy to go back home to the farm after that."

The table-topping Wildfires have suffered a blow for the clash against the Rats, an opposition they are yet to beat in club history.

Strike centre Alex Pohla rolled his ankle at training on Thursday night and is out. Tom Watson moved from wing to outside centre. Deon Evan has been reinstated on the wing.

"It's another box we want to tick," Coleman said. "We want to stay where we are at top of table as well. We know these early season wins are crucial.

"Warringah are good side, but have had a lot of injuries. They are our nemeisis in terms of style. They counter everything, they do lineouts quickly, they want the ball in play. We are more a set piece to set piece team.

"We have to be smart in the way we play against them."

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