A FORMER Central Burnett Brumbies player is making waves in the rugby league world, earning a call-up to the U18 Central Queensland Capras squad.

17-year-old Ryan Gibbs, who started his career at the Burnett club in the U10 division, will turn out for the Rockhampton-based club at next year's Mal Meninga Cup, Queensland's premier U18 competition.

Since his last Brumbies season in 2016, Gibbs, a Burnett State College student who lives in Coalstoun Lakes, has progressed steadily upwards throughout the junior ranks.

After signing with Bundaberg's Across the Waves club, Gibbs earned selection for the Bundaberg U16 side for the 47th Battalion carnival, the U16 Wide Bay Bulls, the Capras Elite Players Academy at the end of 2018 and the Wide Bay Schoolboys Open team this year.

After impressing again at the Academy this year, Gibbs received the invitation to trial for the Cup squad in August, before turning out for trials in the first week of September school holidays.

The forward, who plays front and second row, said selection to the squad "means a fair bit".

"I set my goal to make the squad at the start of the year and had that set on my top agenda for the whole year," he said.

Gibbs said the step-up in opposition means he will continue to develop as a footballer.

"Also it will be a new learning curve the training and be great opportunity to learn off the best," he said.

Gibbs will have a full roster of footy training from November - January, while he will be expected to hit the gym four times per week during this period.

He hopes U18 selection can provide a springboard to U20 selection and will also aim for a few A Grade games for Across the Waves at the conclusion of next year's Cup.