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.
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1. 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.
