ABF FIT Podcast Ep 14 Trent Hodkinson | Resilience, State of Origin & Life Beyond Rugby League

Former NRL halfback and New South Wales State of Origin representative Trent Hodkinson joins the ABF Future Immortals Tour for a wide-ranging conversation about resilience, opportunity, family, football and life beyond the game.

Reflecting on a career that took him from the junior fields of Western Sydney to some of rugby league’s biggest stages, Trent shares the experiences that shaped him both as a player and as a person.

Growing up in Campbelltown, Trent developed his game through Eagle Vale St Andrews, Cabramatta and the Parramatta pathways before an opportunity at Manly opened the door to first grade. Along the way, he faced one of the defining challenges of his early career — an ACL injury that forced him to navigate rehabilitation, uncertainty and the realities of trying to establish himself in professional football.

Trent speaks about the importance of the coaches, teammates and family members who supported him throughout those early years, as well as the influence Queensland Cup football had on his development while playing with the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles.

The conversation follows his NRL journey through Manly, Canterbury-Bankstown, Newcastle and Cronulla, before eventually returning to Manly, where his professional career had begun.

A major focus of the episode is the resilience required to keep moving forward through repeated injuries. Trent reflects candidly on the difficult period in 2012 when knee and shoulder injuries left him seriously considering walking away from rugby league altogether.

It was a moment that tested him mentally as much as physically.

With the support of his family and the people around him, Trent chose to continue — a decision that ultimately led to one of the most significant chapters of his career.

Two years later, in 2014, he represented New South Wales in State of Origin and scored the decisive try in Game Two as the Blues secured the series and ended Queensland’s eight-year winning streak.

Trent takes listeners inside that unforgettable moment, explaining what he saw in the defensive line, how the play unfolded and why he still views the try as the result of an extraordinary team effort rather than an individual achievement.

He also reflects on the significance of that entire 2014 season — from Origin success and a grand final appearance with the Bulldogs to getting married — after having come so close to giving the game away only two years earlier.

Beyond the highlights, the episode explores the realities of professional sport: changing clubs, competing for positions, navigating injuries, accepting decisions outside your control and eventually recognising when your body is telling you it is time to finish.

After 174 NRL games, Trent’s playing career came to an end through medical retirement, but his connection to rugby league has continued.

Now based in Central Queensland with his family, Trent has transitioned into coaching and player development through the Central Queensland Capras and the club’s pathways connection with the Dolphins.

Returning to the ABF Future Immortals Tour, he also reflects on the value of spending time in community, reconnecting with former teammates and using the experiences of his own career to support the next generation.

It is a conversation about much more than rugby league.

It is about the people who help you through difficult periods, the lessons found in setbacks, the importance of staying connected and what it means to keep moving forward when the game eventually finishes.