It's not often a player from this region earns a spot with an NRL club before they've played representative footy with the Western Rams.
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But that's the case for Jonah Raidaveta.
The St John's powerhouse will make his Rams debut this weekend and will line up in the second row in the Johns Cup opening round battle with the Illawarra South Coast Dragons.
It caps an exciting period for Raideveta, who starred for St John's last season and then spent time training with the North Queensland Cowboys' NRL squad prior to Christmas.
"At the first Rams trial game I got scouted so it was even before I made the Rams squad," Raidaveta said of heading to Townsville.
"It was a pretty big shock. I wasn't even in the first (Rams) squad and I've got people from Townsville scouting me.
"It was a good experience. I got to train with first grade and Young Guns, the under 21s. I just got to see what it was like and how intense training was."
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A trip back to Townsville prior to next season is on the cards but for now the towering 15-year-old is focused on making an impact for the Rams.
Having played with the St John's under 16s premiership-winning outfit last season he was teammates with a number of Western representatives.
That, and having seen Rams' results in recent years, just gave him more motivation to make the squad this season.
"Rams obviously has a reputation and you want to be able to set yourself a standard and reach it.," he said.
"I always wanted it."
Given his size and strength, Raidaveta shapes as a real strike weapon for the Rams during the Johns Cup campaign and he's eager to make his presence felt at Cowra on Sunday against the Dragons.
He's impressed coach Tony Woolnough in training but the challenge is to now produce those performances on game day.
"A bit of strike and trying to break through the line," he said of what he wants to bring, before laughing about a chat he had with his coach.
"Wooly (Woolnough) told me if I don't run like I do in training there could be some punishment from him so I'll have to run a bit harder."
Raidaveta had plenty of praise for Woolnough, who is entering his third campaign with the Rams under 16s.
Hopefully win the competition, that's the ultimate goal.
- Jonah Raidaveta
He said his experience coaching young players was obvious while he and Rams under 18s counterpart Kurt Hancock had done a fine job in bringing the squads together.
The build-up to the regional titles has been three months in the making for the Rams, with a gruelling camp at Woolnough's home town of Warren last weekend capping the intense program.
"Hopefully we can perform as a group on the day and get it done," Raidaveta said.
"And then hopefully win the competition, that's the ultimate goal.
"Everyone has been getting closer and we've been building bonds."
Also well known in rugby union and basketball circles, Raidaveta added rugby league is now the focus and the high standard of the Johns Cup, as well as his time with the Cowboys, has him focused on chasing the footy dream.
Raidaveta is joined in the Rams squad for Sunday by St John's teammate Will Cuthill, who will start on the wing, while South Dubbo youngster Kaleb Sutherland is on the other flank.
Chase Cubby is the other Dubbo-based player in the squad and the Raiders youngster will start at hooker at Cowra.
Kick-off is at 10am at Sid Kallas Oval and the match will be live-streamed on the NSW Rugby League Facebook page.
- UNDER 16s: 1 Ronan Hunt-Cameron, 2 Will Cuthill, 3 Malakai Folau, 4 Kaleb Sutherland, 5 Alexander Davies, 6 Fletcher Hunt, 7 Kaydden Hoad, 8 Ethan Young, 9 Chase Cubby, 10 Michael Coady, 11 Jonah Raidaveta, 12 Connor Verdanega (c), 13 Toby Gibson, 14 Cody Crouch, 15 Braith Boyd, 16 Harry Hammond, 17 Jet McAuliffe, 18 Lachlan Crook, 19 Jaiden Powyer.