Mick was born in Penrith but didn't start surfing until his family moved to Coolongatta.
It highlights my point; people are products of their environment.
Most kids growing up in the Sea Eagles' feeder suburbs of the Northern Beaches try surfing. As anybody who has surfed will attest, it is an addictive pastime that usurps other sports such as football, cricket, tennis etc. Thus, many of the Northern Beaches' most talented sportspeople are surfers.
Conversely, those who grow up away from the coast -- such as Sydney's west -- play sports such as RL, giving the region a much larger pool of junior talent.
That's why a RL club such as Manly has such a need to recruit from outside its surrounding suburbs.
Anybody who comes on this Forum to boast about local talent knows nothing about demography and is ill-informed.