Back to school: Former Westfields Sports High school student Jarryd Hayne wrestles with fellow alumni David Klemmer. Pictures: Anthony Johnson
After Thursday night's 20-16 loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs, Parramatta Eels coach Ricky Stuart declared he was a "one very, very proud coach".
"Everything I've asked for over the last 14 or so weeks we've been together, came out there," he said.
"The values that we set for an individual to be in our culture were displayed out there. I'm just so proud of them."
However, there would have been one person just as proud as Stuart — Westfields Sport High school director of sport Joanne Kenny.
The Fairfield West school had no fewer than 10 former students playing in the game on Thursday night.
Jarryd Hayne, Matthew Keating, Kelepi Tanginoa and Jacob Loko (Eels) and David Klemmer, Dene Halatau, Tony Williams, Kris Keating, Drury Low, and Krisnan Inu (Bulldogs) have all graced the hallways of Australia's first sport school.
The game was particularly special for former Australian schoolboys Klemmer (class of 2011) and Kelepi Tanginoa (class of 2012).
The Fairfield residents were playing their second and first NRL game respectively and as fate would have it, Tanginoa's first run was greeted by Klemmer's hulking frame.
"It's always good to see former students excel at their chosen sport at the top level," Kenny said.