Memorable Debuts – Round Ten

Welcome to Memorable Debuts, a feature of LeagueUnlimited.com where we take a look at the upcoming matches of the round and see which players debuted in the same game all those years ago.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Sydney Roosters
ANZ Stadium - Friday 7:35pm

Back in 2001, a future Queensland and Australian representative became the 1000th player for the Sydney Roosters. Coming off the bench, Michael Crocker started his first grade career as an interchange hooker before shifting into the second row with great success. Kicking two goals in the Roosters 38-12 win, he went on to play in five Grand Finals throughout his career, winning with the Roosters in 2002 and Melbourne in 2007. Finishing up as captain of South Sydney, Crocker retired in 2013 after playing 204 NRL matches along with 6 Tests and 13 Origins.

North Queensland Cowboys v Brisbane Broncos
1300SMILES Stadium - Friday 7:35pm

Arguably the greatest ever North Queensland Cowboy, Matt Bowen played his first NRL match in 2001 against the Broncos. Going down 18-17 following a late Chris Walker try, Bowen went on to play 270 games for the Cowboys, scoring 130 tries including in the 2005 Grand Final loss to Wests Tigers. Representing the Kangaroos once, Bowen also played 10 matches for Queensland where he scored the match-winning try in extra time in Game One, 2005. Currently playing in England with Wigan, Matt Bowen will go down as one of the most exciting players of the NRL era.

Parramatta Eels v Warriors
Pirtek Stadium - Saturday 3:00pm

We will never know what could have been following the death of Warriors forward Sonny Fai in 2009. Having debuted a year earlier in a 30-16 win against Parramatta, the Auckland junior was touted as a future international, but sadly never had the opportunity to realise his potential after being caught in a rip. Scoring five tries in 15 matches during his rookie season, the Warriors continue to celebrate Fai's legacy to this day.

Gold Coast Titans v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Cbus Super Stadium - Saturday 5:30pm

With the Sharks out of finals contention in 2007, coach Ricky Stuart provided winger Bryson Goodwin with his first grade debut in Cronulla's 28-12 win. Moving to the Bulldogs in 2009, he scored 20 tries for Canterbury before making his debut for New Zealand. After missing out on the 2012 Grand Final, Goodwin shifted to the Rabbitohs where he enjoyed tremendous success, earning a recall for the Kiwis in their World Cup campaign. Scoring 47 tries from 124 appearances, Goodwin is currently back in the South Sydney backline after missing out on the 2014 Premiership.

Melbourne Storm v South Sydney Rabbitohs
AAMI Park - Saturday 7:30pm

While his future lies with the Warriors, back in 2007 a young Kiwi made his debut off the bench for South Sydney against eventual premiers Melbourne. While Issac Luke was unable to prevent the Storm from racking up a 26-10 win that day, the New Zealand International has proved to be one of the Rabbitohs most influential players since being readmitted in 2002. Missing their 2014 Grand Final win, Luke has achieved considerable success at International level, playing in 32 Tests including wins over Australia in the 2008 World Cup and 2010/14 Four Nations.

St. George Illawarra Dragons v Canberra Raiders
WIN Stadium - Sunday 2:00pm

While Noa Nadruku and Lote Tuqiri were trailblazers in the NRL, one of the more under-rated Fijian backs was Wes Naiqama. Debuting for the Dragons in 2005, Naiqama's speed and goal kicking ability saw the Arncliffe Scots junior cement a place in the Dragons backline before moving to Newcastle in 2008. Alternating between the Knights backline and providing impact off the bench, Naiqama scored 15 tries during his five-year stint before playing two seasons with the Panthers alongside younger brother Kevin.

Newcastle Knights v Wests Tigers
Hunter Stadium - Sunday 4:00pm

It's a rare feat to see one player go on to play 200 games in the NRL, but in Round 20, 2003, both Benji Marshall and Michael Ennis debuted. While Marshall enjoyed the spoils of the Tigers 52-12 win, Ennis would play for the Knights, Dragons, Broncos, Bulldogs and currently Sharks in an extensive career. While Marshall's success with the Tigers is well known, his recent form with the Dragons has seen the former Kiwis captain in line for a recall to international rugby league.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Penrith Panthers
Brookvale Oval - Monday 7:00pm

While he missed out on the Panthers 2003 Premiership, Frank Pritchard has enjoyed an otherwise hugely successful career. Debuting off the bench during the Panthers 30-29 win over the Sea Eagles, the second rower went on to play 144 matches for Penrith before shifting to the Bulldogs in 2011 where he went on to feature in the 2012 and 2014 Grand Final defeats. Representing the Kiwis on 26 occasions, Pritchard has since declared his intentions to represent Samoa where he captained the Pacific side to an 18-16 victory over Tonga just two weeks ago.

That's all for this week, stay tuned for next week's edition of Memorable Debuts where we'll look at the youngest Knight of all time, the son of a Balmain legend and take a look back at the upcoming Origin series by featuring some One Game Wonders.