After a horror run of injuries, young GPS forward and former Junior Wallabies skipper Nick Baker is fit and healthy and playing the most consistent rugby of his young career. 

Baker spent the best part of two seasons in and out of the Physio room, undergoing several operations on his ankle and foot and struggling with hamstring issues. 

READ MORE: What Jeeps fans really think about Brothers

But the apprentice carpenter has had better luck in 2024 and is playing with plenty of confidence in a Jeeps outfit that sits third on the Hospital Cup ladder. 

“This year has felt completely different to the last few years,” Baker told Rugby News.

“It’s made a massive difference to run out each week knowing that my body isn’t aching before the game even starts. 

“I’ve played with niggly injuries most of my career and always had my body in the back of my mind every time I carried the ball. That’s all changed this year and I think I’m playing with a lot more confidence because of that.

“It helps me to put my head in places that you wouldn’t out your head in to if you were 50/50 about your body. It sounds simple but it makes such a big difference.”

Baker has a month left in his apprenticeship, but took time away from the tools last season to captain the Junior Wallabies at the U20s World Cup in South Africa. 

“It was definitely an eye-opening few months,” the 21-year old said. 

“Coming from doing an apprenticeship to focussing on footy full time, it was a bit of an adjustment but I learnt how to really look after my body and how to review and preview games properly. 

“I had a few issues with my body again while we were in South Africa but it was still a great experience on and off the rugby field and a very cool part of the world.”

Baker had been on an Academy contract with the QLD Reds but said he couldn’t blame the coaching staff at Ballymore for not finding him a spot in the top squad for 2024. 

“I played bugger all rugby over the past two years so I can’t really blame them for not re-signing me. At the moment, I’m just happy to stay and fit and healthy and focus on my footy with Jeeps. 

“I feel like we’re playing like the Jeeps teams of old. Going back to when I watched as a kid 10-15 years ago. 

“We lost a lot of experience from last year and it took us a bit to work through that but over the past few weeks, I think we’ve settled into our groove and we’ve played some really good rugby at times.”

Baker will start at flanker for Jeeps in Saturday’s grudge match against defending premiers Brothers. 

The Filth have lost just one match so far this year and beat Wests 31-12 in a grand final rematch a fortnight ago. 

But Baker is confident his side can challenge their arch-rivals and send a message to the rest of the competition. 

“It’s felt like teams haven’t really been giving us the respect we think we deserve so far this year. 

“But we’ve beaten Wests and when we beat Brothers this weekend, I think that will change pretty quickly. 

“We’ve just got to play for the full 80 minutes and outwork them. It’s always a big grudge match on Old Boys Day down at Jeeps so both sides will be up for it. 

“But we just need to play in the right parts of the field and then work our asses off for our mates on either side of us.”