NRL star’s finals begins with Father’s Day bub

NRL star Jake Clifford will go into this weekend’s finals round with a massive spring in his step – after he became a dad on Father’s Day.

The 23-year-old Newcastle Knights halfback was driven 1300kms to arrive by his wife Stephanie’s side just 55 minutes before she birthed their beautiful baby girl, Naivy, at Mater Mothers’ Private Townsville on Sunday.

The North Queenslander, who transferred to the Knights from the Cowboys mid-season, was granted an exemption from his team bubble to travel back to Townsville for the birth.

“The couple had been expecting Naivy to arrive today, but she came a day early to give her dad the best possible Father’s Day surprise,” obstetrician Sally Aubrey said.

Jake only just made the birth after he began a 15-hour journey from Brisbane to Townsville, straight after his team’s loss to the Broncos on Saturday afternoon.

A Knights employee drove him to Rockhampton, where Jake’s dad met him and drove the dad-to-be to Townsville. Jake arrived at Mater Mothers at 9 am – just 55 minutes before Naivy was born.

His daughter weighed 2.6kg and mum and baby are both doing well.

Jake, who was born in Cairns and raised in Tully, will left his new family last night to return to the Knights’ bubble on the Sunshine Coast in a two-seater chartered plane.

The Knights will take on the Parramatta Eels in Rockhampton on Sunday in the first week of finals.

“We are very excited Naivy was born at Mater Mothers’  Private Townsville on Father’s Day,” said Mater Private Hospital Townsville Executive Officer Libbie Linley.

“We wish Jake the best of luck this weekend and he can be sure that Mater will take great care of his precious young family.”