The lock-forward has been an integral member of the Mudgee junior Dragons and Mudgee High School’s successful Wybird Shield rugby union team.

He is big, fast and mobile, and has the potential to be a big success in rugby league in the future.

So much so, he was part of a Parramatta Eels development squad.

Now, all the hard work he has put into his footy has paid off - with selection in the Western Rugby League Academy squad.

“I was very surprised to be selected because I missed the trials,” Shearman said.

It is the first time the Mudgee product has been selected in the 45-man squad.

Players from all over Western NSW such as Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo, Warren, Condobolin, Gulargambone, Cowra have been selected in the squad.

Shearman will be joined by his two Dragons’ teammates Nick Van Lijf and Nick O’Hara.

The trio will have their first introduction into the academy this weekend at a camp in Dubbo.

“It will be good to have them there because I think we will help each other a lot.”

Country Rugby League Development Officer Wade Judd said it was a tough task to name the final academy squad.

“There was so much talented young players at the trials and we could have easily picked 20 or more but had to leave them out,” Judd said.

Judd said the two-day camp this weekend in Dubbo was more about an introduction for the players.

“After this weekend, there is a training session in Orange in about two weeks, then another training run in Dubbo before Christmas.”

Following the Christmas break the academy will play games against a Penrith development squad and their Northern academy counterparts as trials for the Far-West Challenge in Nyngan in Easter.

The academy will conclude in September with a tour to Fiji, which has Shearman excited.

“Yeah it should be good, I haven’t

been overseas,” Shearman said.