The Penrith enforcer hails from a fine Rugby League pedigree with his grandfather, Bill Mullins, a Sydney Roosters legend, his uncle Brett Mullins, a star for Canberra and the Roosters, and his father Brett Hetherington, a workhorse for the Raiders.
He has had a chequered start to his NRL career after a number of sin-bins and suspensions but that shouldn’t come as a surprise when you consider how hard he plays the game. It’s a quality that will serve NSW well in the future if he learns to control his aggression and use it in the right way.
Hetherington was scouted by Penrith in country NSW when he was only 16-years-old but resisted the urge to move to Sydney over fears he would get homesick. He eventually relented and signed for the Roosters’ Holden Cup team before Gould came knocking again and secure his man.
“It was always a dream to play footy and try and be like Dad, Uncle and Pop,” Hetherington told The Western Weekender in June.
“I never really expected to be at Penrith but I am and I am loving it.
“I often hear from Dad and Pop, they ring me all the time and tell me what I’m doing wrong. They tell me to pull my head in and are good to have around to talk to. They’ve been there and done it all.”
