J'maine Hopgood facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | J'maine Dale Hopgood | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 May 1999 Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia |
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| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 102 kg (16 st 1 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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As of 13 July 2025
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J'maine Dale Hopgood, born on May 11, 1999, is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league player. He plays as a lock forward for the Parramatta Eels team in the National Rugby League (NRL). Before joining the Eels, he played for the Penrith Panthers.
Contents
Early Life and Rugby Beginnings
J'maine was born in Hervey Bay, Queensland. He started playing rugby league there for the Hervey Bay Seagulls. When he was 16, he moved to Caloundra, Queensland, and played for the Caloundra Sharks.
J'maine faced a tough time when his father, Dale, passed away on March 24, 2007. His father was 39 years old and had just played a rugby match for the Seagulls.
J'maine Hopgood's Rugby Career
Starting Out in Junior Teams
In 2017, J'maine became the captain of the Penrith Panthers' S. G. Ball Cup (under-18s) team. This was his first year with the club. Later that year, he also played for the Queensland under-18s team.
In 2019, J'maine continued to show his talent by playing for the Queensland under-20s team.
First Steps in the NRL (2021-2022)
In 2021, J'maine was added to the Penrith Panthers' main NRL squad. He made his first-grade debut for Penrith on May 16, 2021. This game was against the Gold Coast Titans during the Magic Round. His debut was announced on his 22nd birthday.
On June 1, 2022, J'maine signed a two-year contract to join the Parramatta Eels. He had previously considered joining the North Queensland Cowboys but chose the Eels instead.
J'maine also captained Penrith's NSW Cup team in 2022. He led them to win the premiership by defeating Canterbury in the grand final. He was also named the NSW Cup player of the year for 2022.
On October 2, J'maine scored two tries and was named the best player in Penrith's big 44–10 win over Norths Devils. This victory secured the 2022 NRL State Championship for his team.
Playing for the Parramatta Eels (2023-Present)
In 2023, J'maine represented the Indigenous All Stars in the 2023 All Stars match.
He made his first game for the Parramatta Eels in round 1 of the 2023 NRL season. This game was against Melbourne Storm, and the Eels lost closely in extra time. In round 3, J'maine made a pass that led to the opposing team scoring the winning try. Despite this, he continued to play well.
In May 2023, J'maine signed a new contract with Parramatta, keeping him with the club until the end of 2025. In round 11, he scored his first try for Parramatta. He played 24 matches for the Eels in the 2023 NRL season. The team finished 10th and did not make the finals.
On May 27, 2024, J'maine was chosen to play for Queensland in the 2024 State of Origin series. However, he missed game two due to a back injury. On June 27, it was announced that he would miss the rest of the 2024 NRL season because he needed back surgery. On August 28, 2024, J'maine extended his contract with Parramatta until the end of the 2027 season.
On January 30, 2025, J'maine was named as part of the Eels' leadership group. This was announced when Mitchell Moses was made the team captain.
Career Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |  Penrith Panthers |
5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 |  Parramatta Eels |
24 | 4 | 16 |
| 2024 | 12 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2025 | 15 | 1 | 4 | |
| Totals | 60 | 6 | 24 |
