Premier Chris Minns, Australian Rugby League Chairman Peter V'landys and NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb - alongside some of the biggest names in the NRL, including Latrell Mitchell - flew from Sydney to Moree, population 7000, to launch Project Pathfinder.

There's no two ways about it, a place like Moree deserves the attention - the people, the community up there is crying out for it. They need help.

The rate of youth crime in that part of the world is frightening. Just the next day a police media release indicated there had been an armed hold up at a service station in the town. You wonder if waiting for the commissioner to leave Moree was a courtesy or just plain good luck.

However, the crime issues facing Moree are not isolated.

Over the last week in Orange, we've had teenagers arrested following alleged pursuits which hit speeds of 150km/h in the middle of town.

The Central Western Daily has previously reported on crime issues in our city: home invasions being streamed on social media, just one example.

We've spoken to residents who have terrifyingly come face-to-face with intruders in their own home - that's another.

While each and every week our reporter returns from the court house with another story of a teenager, sometimes younger, committing a crime, and then fronting children's court.

It's clear Moree isn't alone in this battle.

Which is why the success of Project Pathfinder in the state's north will be intriguing.

Project Pathfinder is a partnership between the NSW Police Force, NRL and Youth Justice NSW which aims to provide at-risk teenagers from regional areas with mentorships and opportunities to reach their potential.

The program will see young people provided with unique access to the NRL environment and an NRL mentor to support and engage with their families.

Will buddying up Latrell Mitchell with a young offender from Orange help - for fear of pinching from the COVID-19 dictionary - flatten the curve?

Only time will tell.

But certainly the fanfare this week's announcement generated in Moree says both the NRL and NSW Government are going to throw everything at making the project a success.

Mr V'Landys even went as far to say, for him, the project was as big, if not bigger, than the game's venture to Vegas earlier in 2024.

We don't need those sort of bright lights, but certainly turning people's attention to the issue is a start.

Nick McGrath, editor

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