Memorable Debuts - Round 12

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.

Penrith Panthers v Parramatta Eels
Pepper Stadium - Friday 7:45pm

Almost a decade on from his NRL debut, Jarryd Hayne has left a huge impact upon rugby league in the 21st century. Playing on the wing in the Eels 30-20 loss, Hayne went onto score 17 tries in his rookie year, earning him a spot in the 2006 Australian squad for the Tri-Nations series. While he was unable to crack a representative debut until the next year, Hayne's rise in the NRL saw him claim two Dally M Medals, play a leading role in Australia's 2013 World Cup victory and enter Origin folklore with a starring role in the Blues drought breaking 2014 series win. Sensationally leaving rugby league to pursue a career in the NFL, Hayne will go down as one of the most naturally talented players of all time.

Gold Coast Titans v South Sydney Rabbitohs
Cbus Super Stadium - Saturday 3:00pm

In their first meeting at Carrara Stadium in 2007, the Gold Coast Titans prevailed 25-18 in a controversial game which saw Rabbitohs prop Jaiman Lowe sent-off for striking Titans centre Brett Delaney. While Lowe's actions largely overshadowed the end result, the Titans provided a mid-season debut to former Roosters halfback Josh Lewis. Unable to usurp Mitchell Pearce, Lewis joined the Titans but was unable to cement a spot alongside Scott Prince, limiting his career tally to 25 games.

Canberra Raiders v Brisbane Broncos
GIO Stadium - Saturday 5:30pm

While the much-hyper Grand Final meeting between the two powerhouse sides of the 1990s never eventuated, the Raiders and Broncos experienced several close encounters over the years. In 2000, a Friday night match up between the pair saw Brisbane prevail following two late tries to give the Broncos a 14-6 win. While the Raiders were unable to get the points that night, future club legend Alan Tongue came off the bench in what would be the first of 220 games for the Green Machine. While premiership eluded him, Tongue played a major part in leading the Raiders to the finals on several occasions before deciding to call it a day at the end of 2011.

North Queensland Cowboys v Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
1300SMILES Stadium - Saturday 7:30pm

Featuring in 256 games for the Sea Eagles throughout his playing career, Des Hasler tried his hand at coaching in 2004. After years of poor performances, Hasler's appointment as coach saw the Northern Beaches club experience one of the most successful runs in Manly's history. Inspiring his side to fight back from a 14-0 halftime deficit, the Sea Eagles ran out 24-20 winners in the first of many victories under Hasler's guidance.

Warriors v Newcastle Knights
Mt Smart Stadium - Sunday 2:00pm

While he was unable to force his way into the Knights Grand Final squad in 2001, Clint Newton experienced tremendous success throughout his career, starting with a 45-24 victory over the Warriors. While a fallout with Knights coach Brian Smith saw Newton sign with Melbourne in mid-2007, Newton returned to the Knights after stints with Hull KR and Penrith where he currently captains the NSW Cup side, providing tremendous experience to future first graders.

St. George Illawarra Dragons v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Jubilee Oval - Sunday 4:00pm

Having played together at junior levels throughout their careers, Luke Bailey and Matt Cooper made their first grade debuts off the bench for the Dragons in the opening match of the 2000 season. While the Dragons went down 28-12 to Cronulla, both Bailey and Cooper went onto feature in over 200 games each, along with numerous appearances for New South Wales and Australia.

Sydney Roosters v Melbourne Storm
Allianz Stadium - Monday 7:00pm

For some players, a debut in first grade can signal the start of an illustrious NRL career. For others, a single game is all they experience in the big league. With the Roosters experiencing a horror 2009 season, culminating in a wooden spoon, departing coach Brad Fittler provided long-serving Newtown front-rower Khalid Deeb with a debut in the Roosters 38-4 loss to the Storm. While he never managed to play another game in the NRL, Deeb will go down as one of the few players to play first grade rugby league.

That's all for this week, stay tuned for next week's edition of Memorable Debuts where we'll look at the highest try-scorer for South Sydney, a Penrith premiership winning forward and Brad Fittler's first game as coach of the Roosters.