Ben Talty has packed plenty into his football journey, but an NRL debut wasn’t one of them. That changes on Friday night.
The 26-year-old prop, who only joined the Brisbane Broncos on a train-and-trial deal last month, will finally get his shot when he runs out against the Canterbury Bulldogs in Round 18.
With Corey Jensen sidelined by a calf injury and a string of other forwards unavailable, Talty has been rewarded after years of persistence across reserve grade.
“He reminded me how special rugby league is”
Coach Michael Maguire described the moment he delivered the news to Talty, who has played 91 games across stints with Newcastle, the North Sydney Bears and Burleigh.
MORE: Broncos legend charged with high-range drink driving
“Ben Talty has come in here about a month ago and put his head down,” Maguire said. “I was able to sit with him yesterday and talk about how he is going to debut. The big fella had a few tears and gave me a big squeeze.”
“It gave me a real sense of what it really means to play. He's 26 and has been trying for a long time, and it just goes to show how special it is what our game brings.”
Talty himself hit the road from Newcastle to Brisbane in June, packing his car and heading north in search of a fresh chance at Red Hill. Now, with Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan away on Origin duty, and other injuries opening a spot, the opportunity has finally arrived.
Maguire has no doubts about the rookie’s readiness. “The players that we have are very capable and will do a great job for us,” he said. “The way we play is what we've spoken about, and the boys will stick to it.”