A quick scour down the nib Newcastle Knights team-sheet for this week reveals a fresh face for fans to get to know.
Named on an extended bench, 18-year-old livewire, Bradman Best is in line to light up the NRL this weekend.
'There was an incredible sense of achievement'
Fans following the junior game would already be well acquainted with Best, with footage of him scoring an incredible length of the field try in a 2017 Junior State of Origin match making waves in Rugby League circles.
For the man himself, he’s still buzzing from the news he is poised to be making his debut this weekend.
“It’s pretty surreal, when I found out I was pretty speechless,” Best said.
“I’m still just buzzing, just to train with the boys is pretty special.”
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Best has enjoyed a breakout season in 2019, which included making his Canterbury Cup debut and a stunning dominance of the Jersey Flegg competition, where he scored seven tries in just five appearances.
All this despite missing several weeks with an ankle injury mid-season.
Praise for Best has come from all corners of the game, with Mark O’Meley and Brad Fittler among his supporters.
“It is pretty special to hear them (Fittler and O’Meley) say those things,” he said.
“They’ve done a lot to help me improve my game and my awareness, so I’m pretty happy to hear that come from them.”
Best looks set to be rewarded with an NRL debut, with injuries continuing to cause disruption to the Knights backline.
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The promotion couldn’t come at a more crucial time for the club, with three wins required from the final three games of the season if the Knights are to sneak into the semi-finals.
Despite the pressure of coming into the top squad at such a tough time of the year, Best is just worried about his own game.
“I haven’t really thought about it too much, I’m just trying to keep a clear head,” he said.
“Hopefully we get the job done.”
