Just over 18 months ago, Caleb Bergan signed up for the North Tamworth Bears with one goal in mind: to play first grade.
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But rarely does fate allow those kinds of aspirations to be achieved without a roadblock. And so, after injuring his finger playing reserve grade in round one, it would be another 12 months before the 22-year-old finally got his shot.
"I wanted to do it last year, but I broke my little finger in the first game," Bergan said.
"I had the Oztag World Cup coming up, so I thought I'd let my finger heal because I kind of needed my hands over there. So I missed my chance last year."
Not afraid of a little hard work, Bergan began the journey towards a first grade debut in 2024, and was confident he was good enough to earn a call-up.
He was pleased with his form in the first few rounds of the year. And even though he believed he had done enough to prove that he deserved a chance, it was still "a shock" when coach Paul Boyce told him of his inclusion.
"It was pretty much on the day of the game against Gunnedah," Bergan said.
"I was walking to the dressing sheds and he pulled me aside and told me I was playing."
Bergan played nonetheless played half of the reserve grade game, then came off the bench in first grade as Norths secured a nailbiting win.
He was elated not just because he was able to help the side to victory, but because he felt his performance had done enough to secure him a regular place in the side.
"All the boys got around me at the end of it, it made me feel pretty good," Bergan said.
"Like I'd get a second chance. And the week after, Boycey told me I was playing again, so I was pretty stoked."
The former Peel High student grew up in Tamworth after spending the first few years of his life in Bowral.
He had previously played for the Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters and Manilla Tigers, but when the latter folded at the end of 2022 he received a call from Bears reserve grade coach Jay Graham encouraging him to sign up.
Moving from the Tigers, who had struggled throughout 2022 and did not win a game, to arguably the best club of the last decade in Group 4 "definitely" came with more pressure for the former Wests Lions junior.
But that seems to have brought the best out of Bergan. And he does not intend to let the standard slip today against the Werris Creek Magpies.
"We're ready for it," he said.
"We've been putting in the extra work at training. The boys know it's not going to be an easy game, this one's going to be a bit of a test."
