Kootingal-Moonbi unearth exciting find in Ryan Kelly-Payne

But it's not just the Kootingal-Moonbi prop's vast physical dimensions that age him; there are plenty of 18-year-old colossals who look their vintage.

Kelly-Payne's special quality is a maturity that belies his years.

The moustache - fair like his curly hair and more substantial than many other teenagers - helps with that. However, it's only when you speak to the gym junkie that you experience the quiet confidence he radiates.

Read more: 'It was amazing': Kelly-Payne channels Jada Taylor as Roosters beat Boars

And when that is combined with a mature-sounding voice, an assured articulation and what Roosters coach Geoff Sharpe calls a "beast of a physique", he makes a great first impression.

On Sunday at Kootingal Recreation Reserve, Kelly-Payne started in a 42-18 win over Moree. It was not his first start since joining the club from the Bulldogs this year and debuting in the top grade.

But, in a way, it felt like a first impression - because it felt like you had witnessed the birth of true potential, of the scarily good footballer he could become.

He said that he had never played better - his players' player performance bookend by a spectacular 73rd-minute solo try that started in his own in-goal and showcased brute force and an unexpected top speed.

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Kelly-Payne also received two Group 4 best and fairest points - his first points for the year - for his effort against Moree.

"It was amazing," he said of the try. "I've never done that in my life, and I'll live it up for the rest of my life, I'm telling you that."

"Long legs. Not quick, just long legs," he added, in reference to his speed.

The young man hails from Wellington but spent some time in Morisset, before his family settled in Gunnedah some five years ago.

He graduated from Tamworth High last year, having commuted there from Gunnedah, and now lives in Tamworth with his partner while working in the warehouse at the Reece Plumbing Centre in Gunnedah.

It was Roosters hooker Kurt Hartmann who lured Kelly-Payne to Kootingal. Hartmann was his PE teacher and rugby league coach at Tamworth High.

The Bulldogs junior said he was "absolutely loving" his time at Kooty. "Great bunch of blokes, great bunch of blokes," he raved.

Sharpe said Kelly-Payne was a "real good kid" who "really wants to learn his front-row craft".

The forward was also a "big boy with a ton of ability, who knows what he needs to keep working on", Sharpe said

"Looking forward to watching his improvement over the next few years," he added.

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