South Sydney are set to unveil a highly-touted youngster against the Sea Eagles, handing Parkes product Ben Lovett an NRL debut.
The Rabbitohs are amidst a forwards crisis, currently without the likes of Hame Sele, Tevita Tatola, Shaquai Mitchell, Jai Arrow, Liam Knight and Siliva Havili due to injury, with four of them members of the club's full-strength 17.
Originally named as a reserve, Lovett is expected to sneak onto the interchange bench in place of utility Blake Taaffe, who lined up for the Rabbitohs' NSW Cup side on Saturday afternoon instead.
Lovett is a former Parkes Spacemen, and hails from the Central West. The back-rower was running around the countryside featuring for the Western Rams before being picked up by South Sydney.
Now, on Saturday night, he'll run out at Accor Stadium alongside some of the game's best players in Latrell Mitchell and Cameron Murray, and the name 'John Sattler' brandished across his chest.
It's a far cry from the rusty old stand at Pioneer Oval in Parkes, where the young forward plyed his trade as a junior.
The club initially announced his signature ahead of the 2020 season, brought into the club's Jersey Flegg side as a 17-year-old.
Now, in his fourth season in Redfern, the back-rower will finally make the leap to becoming an NRL player at 21 years old.
Despite wearing jersey No. 18, Lovett will join the bench with both utility Taaffe and fellow rookie back-rower Tallis Duncan named in the 19-man squad, yet playing reserve grade at Accor Stadium for the club.
He'll join Jed Cartwright, Davvy Moale and Michael Chee Kam on the bench, although Jason Demetriou may opt to start Moale and bring Daniel Suluka-Fifita off the bench as he did against Penrith a fortnight ago.
