Memorable Debuts - Round 18

Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights

GIO Stadium - Friday 7:45pm

While the Newcastle Knights look back on 2005 as their worst season to date, a number of prominent first graders gained experience during the horrific 13-match losing streak, including Kade Snowden and Jarrod Mullen. Another player who made quite an impact in his rookie season for Newcastle was Brad Tighe; debuting in Round 2 at Canberra Stadium, the Moree junior scored in his first game before going onto top the Knights try-scoring tally with 12. Unable to break into the Knights side the following year with International Brian Carney cementing a place on the right wing, Tighe struggled for game time before deciding to link up with Penrith in 2008. Playing over a century of games with the Panthers over six years, Tighe joined the Titans in 2013 in a player-swap with Jamal Idris. While his time in first grade with the Gold Coast has been limited, the one-time Indigenous All Stars representative remains a quality depth player, having appeared in 169 matches, scoring 65 tries.

Penrith Panthers v Sydney Roosters
Pepper Stadium - Saturday 5:30pm

While his brother holds the record for the most appearances and tries by a Roosters player, few would recall the time when Mark Minichiello played alongside brother Anthony for the tri-colours. Named at hooker, the younger Minichiello came off the bench in the Roosters 26-16 loss to Penrith in 2002. With the Roosters unable to offer him a permanent place in first grade, Minichiello opted to sign with South Sydney, spending four seasons with the Rabbitohs. Having been a part of three last-placed finishes during his time with the Red and Green's, he linked up with the Titans where he featured in their first premiership match, whilst also holding several records including being the first player to play 100 games for the club, as well as most appearances (173). Currently playing with Hull FC in England, representative honours eluded Minichiello largely throughout his career; although he did feature in five consecutive City teams (07-11). While his brother denied him the chance to play in a Grand Final, the pair were able to represent Italy together at the 2013 World Cup.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Brisbane Broncos
ANZ Stadium - Saturday 7:30pm

While Canterbury's 2012 season ultimately ended in disappointment, a number of future stars made successful careers off the back of the success the Bulldogs enjoyed three years ago. Both Dale Finucane and Josh Jackson featured in the Grand Final losses to Melbourne and South Sydney, but another 2012 debutant in James Gavet also made an impressive start in limited time with the club. Playing a single game for the Blue and Whites, Gavet came off the bench in the 22-14 win at ANZ Stadium in Round 23. Joining the Tigers the following season, Gavet had to wait another year for his next shot at first grade, but showed incredible promise that Wayne Bennett signed him during his cleanout at Brisbane in the 2014 off-season. Sadly for Gavet, a long-term knee injury sustained at training limited the hard-running front rower to one game in 2015.

New Zealand Warriors v Melbourne Storm
Mt Smart Stadium - Sunday 2:00pm

Following on from the darkest day in the history of the Melbourne Storm, coach Craig Bellamy responded to the penalties imposed upon them by pulling off an historic 40-6 demolition on ANZAC Day. Having had their premiership titles stripped and denied the opportunity to accrue competition points, the Storm bound together in the face of adversity. Coming into the side amid all the controversy, Matt Duffie and Gareth Widdop made successful debuts with Duffie crossing for a double and Widdop featuring prominently also. Both players went on to represent their countries, however a horror injury run has prevented Duffie from making a mark in recent seasons, while Widdop has developed into one of the finest playmakers in the game since signing with the Dragons.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks v St. George Illawarra Dragons
Remondis Stadium - Sunday 4:00pm

Few players have made as big of an impact over the past decade than Brett Morris. While his debut didn't quite go to script, going down 30-12 to the Sharks; the son of former International Steve quickly became a prolific try-scorer for the Dragons, bagging 12 in his rookie season. Only managing two games the following year, Brett soon formed a terrific combination with twin brother Josh, and when Wayne Bennett signed on to coach the merged venture in 2009, Morris became unstoppable. Scoring 25 tries in 24 matches, he quickly entered the representative frame debuting for Australia at the end of the season alongside his brother. The following year yielded an Origin debut and a premiership while the tries continued to flow. After nine season with the Dragons, Morris sensationally announced his decision to join his brother at Canterbury where he has added a new dimension to the Bulldogs attack since signing on this year.

Gold Coast Titans v Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Cbus Super Stadium - Monday 7:00pm

While all the attention surrounding Daly Cherry-Evans decision to renege on his Titans deal will dominate discussion during the week, another playmaker also has a history with both clubs. Having failed to break into the Bulldogs NRL side, Aidan Sezer joined the Titans in 2012 in a move that yielded immediate results. With the Gold Coast unable to click in attack, Sezer's Round 7 debut at Brookvale Oval proved the catalyst for the clubs resurgence. Scoring on debut, the Titans went on to press for a place in the top eight after finishing last the previous year due to Sezer's influence on the team. Becoming the dominant playmaker the following season with Scott Prince joining Brisbane, Sezer continued to improve but once again the Titans narrowly missed the finals. An injury riddled 2014 derailed the Gold Coast mid-season and after missing out on success once again, Sezer announced his decision to join the Raiders for 2016 amid the fanfare of Cherry-Evans signing with the Titans.

That's all for this week, stay tuned for next week's edition of Memorable Debuts where we'll look at the third youngest debutant in premiership history, Dean Whare's first-up hat-trick and the six Brisbane players that formed the nucleus of what became known as "The Baby Broncos".