Jack Bostock is preparing for an international debut after earning a State of Origin appearance and selection in Australia's World Cup squad.
The Dolphins winger began the season recovering from a ruptured ACL, making those representative opportunities seem distant.
After returning to the field, he made a rapid rise and reflected on the setbacks and determination behind it.
"It is a pretty surreal feeling," Bostock said.
"It was always something I believed I could do in my career. I always wanted to strive for that; I wasn't sort of happy with just being an NRL player.
"I did want to be a representative player and represent my state and country.
He said the prospect felt further away when his rehabilitation began.
"But at the start of my ACL rehab, it was probably a little bit further away than I thought. But I did always have that belief and that desire to get into this arena."