Canterbury Bulldogs forward Jack Underhill has told of the heartbreaking reason he got a tattoo with a deliberately misspelt word ahead of his NRL debut.
Underhill, who became Bulldog 880 last weekend when he debuted for the club against Cronulla, told his teammates about a tattoo on his torso.
The 21-year-old lost his mother Renee to cancer when he was just seven.
Before she died, she wrote him cards to open every birthday until he turned 20.
Every card was signed off with the words ‘dream, believe, suceed’.
‘This was my first one (birthday) that I never got one,’ Underhill told Bulldogs teammates last week.
Bulldogs player Jack Underhill is pictured breaking down while telling his teammates about his mother, who passed away when he was just seven
Underhill (pictured, centre) made his NRL debut last Friday night against the Sharks at Magic Round in Brisbane
The debutant showed teammates his tattoo, which says ‘dream, believe, suceed’ in a tribute to his mother
‘In every note she had at the bottom… “dream, believe, suceed”.
‘It’s what this tattoo is. It’s the same as my sister’s. But succeed is spelled wrong. That’s how she spelled it.’
Footy fans took to the comments section on social media to congratulate Underhill on his emotional speech.
‘How beautiful. Mums are the best. She would be so proud of her son,’ one supporter said.
‘Made me cry. What a magnificent mum and a wonderful young man,’ another wrote.
‘This gave me goosebumps. She would be so proud of him,’ a third person said.
Underhill, who is a Kawana Dolphins junior from the Sunshine Coast, came off the bench for the Bulldogs at Magic Round, making four runs and 22 tackles in his first taste of NRL action.
‘Just a kid with a dream,’ he posted to social media post-game.
Underhill (pictured) is from the Sunshine Coast and is a Kawana Dolphins junior
The 21-year-old is viewed as one of the most exciting prospects at the Bulldogs
Underhill, who was man of the match in Canterbury’s 2024 Jersey Flegg premiership-winning side, is a rising talent at the club and is signed at Belmore until the end of the 2028 season.
A front rower with a big presence in the middle of the field, the Queenslander joined Jack Todd in signing a contract extension in February.
Canterbury general manager of football Phil Gould said at the time: ‘These are two of the brightest prospects at the club.’
‘They arrived at the club as boys looking for an opportunity, and they have grown into fine men who represent the Bulldogs in a dignified and professional manner,’ Gould said.
‘They have put in the hard work and are now ready to reap the rewards. These two are NRL players of the future.’
