Jacob Harman and Jacob Montgomery survived a gruelling four-stage selection process to earn under-13s Northern NSW Hunter positions.

The team selection process began in January with one of two Armidale training camps and ended in July with the second of two Newcastle selection camps.

After four chances for the two 13 year olds to showcase their talent the field of 22 was culled to a 16-man squad to contest a six-team competition next week.

And the competition is set to be as serious as the selection process. The Northern NSW Representative team will go into camp at Myuna Bay at Lake Macquarie on Monday, where parents will get little more than 20 minutes access to their junior stars each day.

They will then meet the competition’s other five constituents between Monday and Friday at Hamilton’s Darling Street Oval, with finals to take place on Friday evening.

Harman and Montgomery spawn from the Hunter Valley’s State Youth League teams.

Harman looks destined to trouble representative opponents for years to come after playing a year beyond his age in the Hunter Valley under-15s this year.

Montgomery will face the important, but somewhat premature, decision to choose which sporting career he would prefer. The Northern Hunter striker will cut short his representative commitments with the Hunter Valley cricket team in Tamworth this weekend to return to the Myuna Bay camp.

The Northern Hunter team could not ask for a stronger head at the helm with Weston Workers State League coach Michael Boogaard set to take the reins. Boogaard said he could not help but take on the junior role.

“I just can’t help myself, these kids are just eager as to learn where in seniors I guess it’s all about results,” he said.

The Northern Hunter team will meet the Northern NSW Select team, a team compiled from the best under-12 and 13 boys and the best under 14 girls, an ACT representative team and three Tasmania teams are set to make the interstate journey.