BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

Think of every kid that ever laced a footy boot and then consider how many of them never actually make it to top flight rugby league? So many more miss out than actually get to live their dream in the NRL.

It is rarely celebrated but anyone, even if it is one game, should be recognised.

Some have become far more successful in their post-playing days too.

Thanks to the incredible Rugby League Project website, we’ve gone back and found every player of the NRL era that was one-and-done.

Brian Leauma
Penrith Panthers 1998
Round 7, wing vs Storm @ Olympic Park
Result: Storm 22 def. Panthers 14

Despite his only NRL appearance coming in 1998, Leauma would be selected and appear in four World Cup matches for Samoa in England two years later where he’d cross from the wing for four tries. He would then immediately switch codes and played for the NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby in 2001.

Frank Watene
Auckland Warriors 1998
Round 24, bench vs Sea Eagles @ Mt Smart Stadium
Result: Sea Eagles 38 def. Warriors 12

Watene left the Warriors at the end of 1998, joining Wakefield in the English Super League where he’d amass 61 games over three years with the Wildcats. Also represented New Zealand Māori in 1999 against the touring Great Britain Lions. Watene spent his later career playing lower division footy for Halifax in the United Kingdom where he still lives and works as a trainer for St John Ambulance.

Denny Lambert
North Queensland Cowboys 1998
Round 24, halfback vs Bears @ North Sydney Oval
Result: Bears 62 def. Cowboys 0

It’s hard enough making your debut as a starting halfback at the age of 18, let alone behind a pack that was humbled by the Bears in Sydney in August of 1998. Brett Dallas, Greg Florimo, Scott Pethybridge and Nigel Roy all scored doubles for the home team. Lambert represented QLD Under 19’s in the same year and again 12 months later. After leaving the Cowboys, Lambert enjoyed two stints with the Pia Donkeys in France and won the QLD Cup Player of the Year with Wynnum in 2002. Lambert now works as a development manager for a chemicals company on the Sunshine Coast.

Sam Faalafi
Adelaide Rams 1998
Round 13, bench vs Dragons @ Adelaide Oval
Result: Rams 22 def. Dragons 20

Came off the bench in the Rams’ final NRL match at Adelaide Oval in a big win over St George. Has since moved to Queensland and has coached in various positions at West Arana.

Jared Fox
Gold Coast Chargers 1998
Round 11, bench vs Dragons @ Carrara Stadium
Result: Dragons 30 def. Chargers 16

Ashley Rhodes
Western Suburbs Magpies 1998
Round 12, bench vs Rams @ Campbelltown Sports Ground
Result: Magpies 36 def. Rams 24

Rhodes would spend several years after his NRL debut in France with the new Catalans club prior to their promotion to the English Super League.

Greg Smith
Newcastle Knights 1999
Round 3, wing vs Bulldogs @ Stadium Australia
Result: Bulldogs 28 def. Knights 26

Arguably the most infamous one-game wonder in the NRL era. A Louisiana native who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent in 1996 but was eventually cut. Appeared at the 1997 Rugby League World Sevens for the USA at the SFS. His one and only game in the NRL came in 1999 at Stadium Australia which ended up being a shocker with the Knights losing. Smith has since stayed on in Australia and even helped train Hollywood star Angelina Jolie before filming began on her 2016 movie, Unbroken.

Nathan Webber
Balmain Tigers 1999
Round 26, centre vs Raiders @ Bruce Stadium
Result: Raiders 42 def. Tigers 14

Has bragging rights as a starting player in Balmain’s final ever first grade appearance in 1999 before merging with Western Suburbs. Brother of fellow Tiger Jason who appeared in 52 games between 1997 and 1999.

Craig Smith
North Queensland Cowboys 1999
Round 26, bench vs Bears @ Stockland Stadium
Result: Bears 28 def. Cowboys 18

Late inclusion for the Cowboys and can say his one game in the NRL was against North Sydney in their final top flight game. Returned to play for Wests Panthers in the QRL and was later named in the Wests Panthers team of the 1990s. Was one of three Craig Smith’s in the NRL in 1999.

Chris Essex
Melbourne Storm 2000
Round 16, bench vs Broncos @ Olympic Park
Result: Storm 16 def. Broncos 12

Essex has since spent time in the coaching ranks back at the Dolphins and is the founder and managing director of Big Dog Pet Foods which has grown into a multi million-dollar business.

Brook Martin
Melbourne Storm 2000
Round 14, wing vs Eels @ Parramatta
Result: Eels 18 def. Storm 8

Debuted during the 2000 State of Origin period and was contracted to the Storm in 2001 but was not seen again in the NRL.

Adam Wheeler
Parramatta Eels 2000
Round 26, bench vs Dragons @ Sydney Football Stadium
Result: Eels 32 def. Dragons 24

Monah Elahmad
Sydney Roosters 2001
Round 8, bench vs Sharks @ Shark Park
Result: Roosters 22 def. Sharks 13

Elahmad had already represented Lebanon twice at the World Cup in 2000 prior to his debut for the Roosters. A year after his appearance for the Roosters at Cronulla, the big prop would turn out for Lebanon one last time in an upset win over France in Tripoli.

Andrew Bobbin
St George Illawarra Dragons 2001
Round 25, bench vs Roosters @ Sydney Football Stadium
Result: Roosters 25 def. Dragons 12

Now a highly respected horse trainer, Bobbin made his first grade debut for the Dragons at the back end of 2001, before leading the reserve grade side to a premiership a few weeks later. While at the Dragons, Bobbin worked at WIN TV before taking a job with CNN in London. As a cameraman, Bobbin travelled to places like Iraq and Russia. From the website of Grampians Racing: “The lifelong urge to be a racehorse trainer drove Andrew back to Australia to find a mentor, and who better than the first lady of racing, Gai Waterhouse. After taking in as much as he could in his time at Randwick, Andrew landed the position of Assistant Trainer to Matt Cumani in Ballarat. For almost five years Andrew played the role of right hand man to Matt Cumani, who is on track to become one of the brightest stars in Victoria’s training ranks.”

Anthony Seuseu
New Zealand Warriors 2001
Round 19, bench vs Broncos @ Carrara Stadium
Result: Broncos 48 def. Warriors 12

The younger brother of Warriors legend, Jerry, Anthony Seuseu is now the CEO of Digicel in New Zealand.

Christian Hill
Northern Eagles 2001
Round 24, centre vs Raiders @ Bruce Stadium
Result: Northern Eagles 36 def. Raiders 22

Appeared in the NRL in 2001 and eventually left for France at the end of 2004 with the club back under the banner of Manly-Warringah.

Steve Lacaze
Brisbane Broncos 2002
Round 12, bench vs Wests Tigers @ Campbelltown Stadium
Result: Broncos 28 def. Wests Tigers 14

Part of one of Brisbane’s greatest ever wins as the ‘Baby Broncos’ upset Wests Tigers on a Friday night at Campbelltown. According to Facebook, now a butcher in his hometown in Innisfail.

George Azzi
Sydney Roosters 2002
Round 5, bench vs Knights @ Sydney Football Stadium
Result: Knights 28 def. Roosters 12

A late inclusion on the bench at the SFS, Azzi had the chance to watch future Immortal Andrew Johns lead the visitors to victory in what we now know as a showdown between defending premiers versus incoming premiers. In the next four years, Azzi would represent Lebanon on the international stage on five occasions – winning all five matches.

Ben Laity
North Queensland Cowboys 2002
Round 10, bench vs Panthers @ Dairy Farmers Stadium
Result: Panthers 38 def. Cowboys 8

Debuted as an 18-year-old prop in 2002 and would go on to become a mainstay in the QLD Cup and was named in the Northern Pride’s team of the decade.

Michael Berne
South Sydney Rabbitohs 2002
Round 25, wing vs Cowboys @ Sydney Football Stadium
Result: Cowboys 36 def. Rabbitohs 34

The first one-gamer to score in his only match in the NRL era. Eventually, the difference was North Queensland’s Josh Hannay’s 4 from 7 kicking against South Sydney’s Brett Sheehan and Owen Craigie’s 3 from 7.

@woodward_curtis