Memorable Debuts - Round 9

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.

Brisbane Broncos v Penrith Panthers

While the emergence of Matt Moylan forced him to shift to North Queensland, back in 2008, Lachlan Coote was touted as the most promising junior out of Penrith since Brad Fittler. Debuting in Round 16, 2008; Coote produced a Man of the Match performance in the 12-all draw against Brisbane. While he was unable to land three conversions throughout the match, including one during extra time, his fearless runs saw him play 83 matches for the Panthers before signing with the Cowboys in 2014.

Sydney Roosters v Wests Tigers

Some players go their entire careers without featuring in a finals match, for former Wests Tigers forward Ben Murdoch-Masila, his debut match happened to be in the greatest finals match of the 2000s. Coming off the bench against the Roosters, the Tongan international was unable to prevent the late surge led by Todd Carney as the Tigers went down 19-15 after almost 100 minutes of football. Currently with Penrith, Murdoch-Masila has played 58 games in the NRL, along with 3 tests for Tonga.

Canberra Raiders v Gold Coast Titans

Following the mid-week sacking of Todd Carney in 2008, Canberra were desperate to maintain their late season momentum led by Terry Campese. Having released Michael Dobson mid-year, the Raiders turned to 21-year old Marc Herbert to steer the Raiders to an unlikely finals position. Scoring a try in the 46-4 demolition of an injury depleted Gold Coast side; Herbert suffered a run of injuries over the next two seasons which saw him play 23 games for Canberra before signing with Bradford in 2011.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks v Warriors

A few weeks back, we touched on the peculiar non-debut of Elijah Taylor. After a series of injuries, Taylor finally made it to first grade at an unlikely venue on 2011. In an attempt to attract a larger crowd, Cronulla opted to move their home game to Taupo, New Zealand. Ultimately the move back-fired, as the Warriors came away with a 26-18 victory. For Taylor, it proved to be the start of a successful first grade career with the Warriors and currently Penrith.

North Queensland Cowboys v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

In one of the most infamous matches of the 21st century, the betting scandal surrounding the Bulldogs 22-20 win over the Cowboys largely overshadowed a historic moment for Jason Taumalolo. Making his debut as a 17-year old, Taumalolo came off the bench in the second half, making him the youngest ever Cowboy in the clubs history. Currently sidelined with a knee injury, Taumalolo has cemented his place in the North Queensland forward pack. Along with his 68 NRL games, he has also represented New Zealand and Tonga at international level.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Newcastle Knights

In the post Andrew Johns era, the Newcastle Knights looked to replace the Rugby League Immortal with a number of players including Scott Dureau. Debuting against eventual Grand Finalists Manly at Gosford's Bluetongue Stadium, Dureau was unable to stop the Sea Eagles from inflicting a 50-16 drubbing upon the Knights in 2007. However, Dureau was able to redeem himself the next year, kicking an extra time drop goal to defeat the Sea Eagles in Newcastle. After an inconsistent four years with the Knights, Dureau signed with Catalan Dragons in 2011, finishing up with 42 games in the Red and Blue.

Parramatta Eels v Melbourne Storm

For someone as successful as Greg Inglis, it's hard to recall a time when his ability was unknown. Making his debut for Melbourne as an 18-year old, the future Maroons and Kangaroos legend crossed for a try on debut, but it was not enough, as Parramatta prevailed 26-14. Playing 117 games for the Storm before moving across to South Sydney following the 2010 Salary Cap scandal, Inglis left the club with 78 tries, 2 premierships and the 2007 Clive Churchill Medal.

South Sydney Rabbitohs v St. George Illawarra Dragons

With the Rabbitohs out of finals contention and the Dragons in free fall, South Sydney engineered their biggest ever win over the joint venture in 2009, coming away with a 41-6 victory. Led by John Sutton, the Rabbitohs demolished the competition leaders, crossing for seven tries. While he wasn't among the try scorers, future premiership winning forward Jason Clark made his debut in the 35-point rout off the bench. Six years after making his debut, Clark will play his 100th game for the club on Monday night.

That's all for this week, stay tuned for next week's edition of Memorable Debuts where we'll look at the 1000th Sydney Rooster, the most capped Cowboy and the game which saw two of the most influential playmakers of the 2000's debut.