It was a Test debut made all the more special for Patrick Carrigan thanks to the presence of some long-time mates, who were also appearing in green and gold for the very first time.
One of seven debutants in the squad for Australia’s World Cup opener against Fiji, Carrigan had close friends Harry Grant and Reuben Cotter beside him, as well as one-time Junior Kangaroos teammates, and now fellow Queensland Origin reps, Murray Taulagi and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui.
It added to an already special occasion for the 24-year-old Broncos forward, who also had his parents in the stands at Headingley Stadium in Leeds.
“It has been a hell of a year and it was just an awesome experience to do it with a couple of guys that I grew up playing footy with in Harry and Rubes,” Carrigan said.
“Being here with some childhood mates and some special players as well, it’s crazy.
The Fijians are beautiful people, the hymn and everything post-game that they did for us, it’s everything you dream of as a kid and I am still kind of pinching myself.
Patrick Carrigan
“I really enjoyed the family aspect. Mum and dad got to get over and I have an aunty that lives in London… they were at the game too.
"They ride the highs and lows since you were a little kid, so to be able to kind of repay them and have them present for when you debut for the Kangaroos was pretty cool."
Match Highlights: Australia v Fiji
In a 42-minute debut for the Australia, Carrigan ran for 118 metres and made 22 tackles in the 42-8 victory.
His impressive emergence in the representative arena this year, which included winning the Wally Lewis Medal as the best player in the Origin series, is all the more admirable when you consider Carrigan is in his first season back from a ruptured ACL, which ended his 2021 season after just nine rounds.
“I had always kind of backed myself to be in these positions, but for me it was just [getting back] the enjoyment factor of footy,” Carrigan said.
“My last full year was 2020 and we had a rough year in Brissie, and to be honest my first thought was just that I want to get back to enjoying footy and playing because I loved it.
"If I took care of that, which I think I did this year, then I kind of felt like the performance side would take care of itself.
Patrick Carrigan wins the Wally Lewis Medal
“In terms of a goal, yeah I definitely wanted to experience Origin this year and hopefully be a part of this [World Cup].
“I grew up loving the Broncs and the glory day Broncs had plenty of Aussies in there."
This article contains content that is only available on pan66.com