Memorable Debuts - Round 8

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 Wests Tigers
ANZ Stadium - Friday 7:45pm

While his career in the NRL only lasted 32 games for Wests Tigers and St. George Illawarra Dragons, New Zealand born - English international Rangi Chase has made quite an impact in Super League. Setting up a number of tries to rival the skills of former Tigers teammate Benji Marshall, Chase made an impressive start in his first match, being the benefactor of a long break made by Taniela Tuiaki who unselfishly handed the ball to the debutant. While he was unable to usurp Jamie Soward and Ben Hornby as the Dragon's first-choice halves, Chase has gone on to be a star in England, playing for Castleford and Salford.

Warriors v Gold Coast Titans
Mt Smart Stadium - Saturday 11:45am

As a try-scorer in the Warriors 2011 Grand Final loss to Manly, Elijah Taylor experienced a wonderful rookie year in the NRL. But if not for injury, the ten-time Kiwi international could have debuted two years earlier in 2009. Originally selected as a centre by coach Ivan Cleary, Taylor was set to play against the Titans at Mt. Smart Stadium but was forced to withdraw after injuring a hamstring. The following year, the Hawera-born utility missed the majority of the season with a knee injury, but was able to captain the Warriors Under 20s side to the first title in the club's history. Taylor finally made his first grade debut in 2011, but it could've been much sooner if not for a run of injuries.

Newcastle Knights v North Queensland Cowboys
Hunter Stadium - Saturday 2:00pm

In a rare twist this week, we have two brothers who debuted two years apart for two different clubs. In 2011, the highly touted Tariq Sims made his NRL debut for the Cowboys in a 34-22 defeat to Newcastle. Two years later, his younger brother Korbin Sims debuted for the Knights in a 34-6 victory over the Cowboys. Both players represented Fiji at the 2013 World Cup alongside eldest brother Ashton, but in a bizarre turn of events, Tariq has pledged himself to New South Wales, representing Country on three occasions, while Korbin has declared his intentions to represent Queensland after playing for the Maroons Under 20s side.

Sydney Roosters v St. George Illawarra Dragons
Allianz Stadium - Saturday 4:00pm

In what has become the traditional ANZAC Day game, the Roosters and Dragons encounter has long been seen as one of the highlights of the season. In a rare exception, the 2007 clash between the pair saw the winless Roosters defeat the Dragons, who had won only one game all year in rainy conditions, 18-4. Alongside the Roosters registering their 1000th win in the process, coach Chris Anderson provided Frank-Paul Nu'uausala with a debut for the club he would go onto play 153 games for before linking up with the Raiders this year.

Melbourne Storm v Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
AAMI Park - Saturday 6:00pm

For a player who has suffered any number of injuries throughout his career, it's surprising to think Steve Matai will be celebrating a decade in the NRL in 2015. Making his debut back in 2005, the high-flying Sea Eagles hosted Melbourne at Brookvale in what would become one of the fiercest rivalries in the NRL. With Manly coming away with a 25-18 win, the rivalry between the two clubs has experienced several highs including the 2007/08 Grand Finals along with the infamous "Battle of Brookvale" in 2011. At the forefront of many of those encounters has been the 206-game veteran Matai.

Brisbane Broncos v Parramatta Eels
Suncorp Stadium - Saturday 8:00pm

While he will be best remembered as a Bulldogs legend, few will actually remember a time when Andrew Ryan played for arch-rivals Parramatta. Making his debut in the Eels 18-10 loss to Brisbane in 2000, the St. Johns Dubbo junior played 73 games for the Eels including the 2001 Grand Final loss, before linking up with Canterbury in 2003 where he took over the captaincy from the injured Steve Price in the 2004 decider. Representing the Blue and Whites on 218 occasions, Ryan retired at the conclusion of the 2011 season.

Penrith Panthers v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Pepper Stadium - Sunday 2:00pm

While his place in the Cronulla side has been under threat since the emergence of Valentine Holmes, Michael Gordon has given tremendous service to the Sharks since joining them from Penrith in 2013. Gordon's connection to both clubs stems from his first grade debut back in 2006, where the then 22-year old lined up in the centres for Panthers coach John Lang in a 40-12 defeat. Playing over 100 games for Penrith, Gordon's strong 2010 form saw him finish the year as the leading point scorer (270) along with making his sole appearance for New South Wales in Game Three. Since joining the Sharks, Gordon has finished both seasons as their Player of the Year.

South Sydney Rabbitohs v Canberra Raiders
Barlow Park - Sunday 4:00pm

Having been humbled by the Roosters in their return to the NRL in 2002, South Sydney fans were in raptures when the Rabbitohs celebrated their first win in over 900 days when they defeated the Raiders 30-22 at Canberra Stadium. Among the victorious Rabbitohs was Scott Geddes, making his first appearance for the Red and Green in a career that would see the front rower play 125 games before retiring a one-club player in 2012.

That's all for this week, stay tuned for next weeks edition of Memorable Debuts where we'll look at some great moments in Representative Football including the Maori front rower who would go on to play for the Kangaroos, the New Zealand side featuring 11 Warriors and the player selected for both sides in the same game.