Top 8: Ill-fated first grade debuts

The likes of Sydney Roosters halfback Sam Walker, Warriors playmaker Reece Walsh and Wests Tigers winger Zac Cini have made stellar NRL debuts already this season, while this weekend’s Magic Round is set to see Jakob Arthur blooded at five-eighth for Parramatta. Getting that initial call-up is an unforgettable career highlight for any player – the stuff of rugby league dreams. But not every debut follows the fairytale script. Will Evans from This Warriors Life relives some of the most unfortunate maiden first-grade forays from over the years. Check out This Warriors Life’s website and podcast, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Alwyn Simpson (Brisbane Broncos) In 2007, Simpson became the first player since Parramatta livewire Dennis Moran a decade earlier to make his first-grade debut in a finals match, selected on the end of a reshuffled backline for injury-ravaged Brisbane to take on minor premiers Melbourne in the qualifying final. But the 23-year-old Ipswich junior endured a torrid afternoon against the white-hot Storm, with opposing winger Anthony Quinn leaving him posted in no-man’s land to score the first try in a 40-0 rout. Simpson, who was formerly contracted to Canberra, never played in the NRL again, instead plying his trade for the Redcliffe Dolphins. https://youtu.be/_S0XkNNnwss?t=382 Adrian Toole (North Sydney Bears) Blooded by North Sydney as a replacement in three first-grade games in 1985-86, Toole’s run-on debut against Canterbury in the opening round of ’87 was one to forget – although the front-row tyro probably couldn’t have remembered it if he wanted to. The 21-year-old was concussed by a swinging arm from Bulldogs enforcer Peter Kelly after 20 minutes. Remaining on the paddock, he was crunched in another tackle involving Kelly and had to be assisted from the field, sick and bloodied. “I looked like the Elephant Man,” Toole said of his appearance the following day. The no-frills prop became a cult hero in 130 games for the Bears. https://youtu.be/tKBKiuRLZQQ?t=1134 Karl Lawton (Gold Coast Titans) Gold Coast utility Lawton’s maiden NRL call-up at centre in 2016 came partly due to an agreement that the Titans’ mid-season acquisition, Konrad Hurrell, would not face his former club, the Warriors. After a solid 46 minutes on debut at Mt Smart Stadium, the 21-year-old suffered a horrific broken leg under the weight of a tackle from fellow rookie Bunty Afoa. Lawton bravely returned to the paddock for Round 1 of the following season before linking with the Warriors in 2018 – and exorcising some demons with a double off the bench on club debut in Auckland. A popular and versatile performer, Lawton played 33 NRL games for the Warriors before a torn Achilles struck him down in the 2021 pre-season. He gained a release to join Manly in March. https://youtu.be/AnK-yzx5qHE?t=110 Glen Fisiiahi (New Zealand Warriors) Warriors NYC star Glen Fisiiahi was promoted to the first grade flank for the club’s 2011 season opener against Parramatta – a historic encounter at rugby union stronghold Eden Park. But the enigmatic 20-year-old made three glaring handling errors, including a terrible drop of a bomb which gifted a try to the Eels soon after halftime in a 24-18 loss. An electrifying speedster, Fisiiahi’s NRL career was plagued by injuries and inconsistency before his switch to Super Rugby outfit the Chiefs at the end of 2015. https://youtu.be/fkP0B9MHqj8?t=132 Tony Caine (Cronulla Sharks) Tony Caine was called up to make his NRL debut off the bench for Cronulla against the Warriors in 2006, but the 19-year-old’s season finished courtesy of a severe knee injury, sustained while having his kick charged down in controversial fashion by Steve Price. The younger brother of prominent Wests Tigers winger/fullback Joel Caine battled back to play a further 15 games for the Dragons and Sharks, but the troublesome knee continued to hamper the utility and he was forced to give the game away in 2008. Peter Lewis (Auckland Warriors) Nineteen-year-old centre Lewis produced one of the more bizarre and avoidable debut shockers in 1999. The Warriors’ clash with Balmain at Leichhardt Oval descended into farce as Matthew Ridge and Nigel Vagana manhandled referee Paul Simpkins as they (erroneously) protested a Tigers field goal; the Kiwi Test stars were both handed three-match suspensions in the wake of the 17-8 loss. Meanwhile, Lewis – who made an otherwise unremarkable NRL entry off the bench – was slapped with a club-imposed ban and fine for spraying his beleaguered teammates from the sideline as the match slipped away, purportedly using the words “weak” and “gutless”. The former Junior Kiwi learned a harsh lesson but ultimately played 11 games for the Warriors in 1999, before representing Cook Islands at the 2000 World Cup and embarking on brief stints with Penrith and Parramatta. James Tedesco (Wests Tigers) A highly-touted fullback with blistering speed, 19-year-old Tedesco’s NRL debut for Wests Tigers in the opening round of 2012 was eagerly anticipated. But his rookie campaign was over after just 30 minutes, suffering a torn ACL in his left knee against Cronulla, requiring a reconstruction. Tedesco returned at the start of 2013 and made his City Origin debut after just four first grade appearances, before establishing himself as one of the game’s best No.1s in ensuing seasons. https://youtu.be/tKBKiuRLZQQ?t=1134 Greg Smith (Newcastle Knights) Earning an NRL call-up with Newcastle in 1999 amid plenty of hype after having trialled for NFL franchise the Philadelphia Eagles, African-American flyer Greg Smith produced an infamous, error-riddled display on the Knights’ wing against Canterbury. A string of handling errors and poor defensive reads by the speedy debutant allowed the Bulldogs to recover from a 16-point deficit and pull off a 28-26 victory over the dumbfounded Knights. Dumped immediately after his shocker, Smith is destined to be remembered as arguably the most notable ‘one-game wonder’ in premiership history and one of the great curiosities of the modern era. https://youtu.be/tVoHyDEKbek?t=327

Top 8: Ill-fated first grade debuts

This Warriors Life’s Will Evans relives some of the most unfortunate maiden first-grade forays from over the years.

5. Glen Fisiiahi (New Zealand Warriors)

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