THREE of Toowoomba's top rugby league prospects will be out to further their careers under the guidance of two of the Garden City's past exports.
Toowoomba Clydesdales under 20s graduates Haydan Lipp, Ben White and Chris Gelhaar have linked with the Ipswich Jets for next season in the hope of breaking into the club's Intrust Super Cup squad.
Former Toowoomba talents Ben and Shane Walker coach the Jets giving Ipswich an increased Garden City presence.
The departing trio were the back-bone of the Clydesdales squad this year with Lipp captain, White vice-captain and Gelhaar going on to be named the team's best and fairest.
White was tough in the centres this year for the Clydesdales, while Lipp has generally been used in the halves and at fullback during his two years in the under 20s, with Gelhaar a hard-working diminutive forward in he middle of the park.
It looks like Gelhaar will remain in Toowoomba and travel down the Range to train, while White and Lipp will move in together and start preparing for next year before the Jets squad goes into pre-season training.
"I was playing the Jets half-way through the season and Ben Walker actually approached my parents," White said about how the opportunity presented itself)
"Ben's been talking to Franko (Clydesdales under 20s manager Chris Franklin) and sure enough he rang me about three weeks ago.
"Their pre-season starts the 25th of November but me and Haydan Lipp are going to move down there the 1st of November.
"They've got the gym open and we're going to start there the 1st of November."
Twenty-year-old White is on the comeback from injury after a broken ankle prematurely ended his final season in the FOGS Cup Colts Challenge with the Clydesdales.
And after watching fellow former Toowoomba Clydesdales under-age representative Dan Murphy enjoy ISC premiership success with Mackay on Sunday, White would love to get the opportunity to play in the Queensland Cup.
"Me and Lippy have both spoken to Ben and he said there is no reason why we can't play at that level of football next year. With a bit of hard work we could play at that level," he said.
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