Jed Stuart has revealed he played through cramps during the final 20 minutes of his NRL debut after earlier scoring a try.
The young gun - who is the son of coach Ricky - made his debut after serving as 18th man a number of times in recent weeks, with Savelio Tamale going down with a knee injury last weekend that will leave him sidelined until just weeks out from the finals - a finals series the Raiders are almost locked into with double-digit rounds remaining after their win over the Wests Tigers.
The NRL debutant said nervers weren't an issue in the lead-up to the game as he found out he was playing last Tuesday during the Raiders' bye week.
โIt's actually been really good. I haven't been too nervous. I found out Tuesday last week, so I've had time to dwell on it,โ Stuart said on Channel 9 when asked by Brad Fittler.
โI was more excited to play with the boys. What they are doing this year is crazy and I've had a piece of it just then."
He said he was cramping during the final 20 minutes of the game, paying praise to his teammates as they turned away raid after raid from the Wests Tigers in what wound up being just a four-point victory.
โNervous. I just wanted a win. I'm so glad we didn't let them score. It was so good. I was cramping with 20 to go, but the boys did a hell of a job,โ Stuart revealed.
Stuart, who scored a try on debut, labelled the moment special.
โFar out, that was great hey? Scoring on debut is pretty special, so that was awesome,โ he added.
The young winger immediately looks as if he will belong in the top grade, finishing his NRL debut with some tough carries for 99 metres, three tackle breaks, a line break, and a couple of important tackles.
He will only improve with time, and his father said he should be happy with his performance.
โIt was [a really proud moment],โ Coach Stuart said during the post-match press conference.
โI said it in a Channel 9 interview earlier, I appreciate how the players all support him and there was a lot of pressure on him tonight.
โThose little things and scenarios give you a little bit of confidence, and the only way to get better is by playing games. I think he should be happy with his performance in his first game.โ
While perceived 'nepotism' selections have created plenty of headlines at other clubs in recent weeks, Stuart said he had the backing of his senior players to select his son for an NRL debut.
โOur senior players are a massive support to me. When I talked to the boys led by Joe, they wanted nothing else but to put Jed in there,โ Stuart said.
โThat gave me confidence to select him. There is no way I'd throw Jed in there if I didn't have the support of my players. Personally, I knew he was ready, but I still needed to make sure I had the confidence of the boys.โ
Captain Joe Tapine backed up the version of events, saying he even made the phone call to the youngster to let him know he would be debuting against the Tigers.
โDefinitely. I talked to Stick, I talked to our leadership group. The reason he got picked for the Vegas trip was because he was the next best man up. When Savelio went down, the next best man is up,โ Tapine said.
โI actually gave him the phone call. I think I was nervous. You're letting someone know they are accompolishing their dream that they worked so hard for.
โIt's unreal. I knew he wouldn't let us down and he made some unreal moments out there. The tap back for the 40-20, some tough carries, a try, and the little stuff that people don't notice, so really proud of him and Stick should be too.โ
