Rising Knights players and housemates Oryn Keeley and Paul Bryan admit it was a strange feeling facing off in the under-19s Origin but an experience they'll never forget.
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The duo, who are making their way through the club's lower grades and live together in New Lambton, opposed each other for the first time in the match at Leichhardt Oval.
Back-rower Keeley, along with fellow Knights player Max Bradbury, took bragging rights after NSW claimed a 32-4 victory.
"Paul found out he was in and then I found out a day later," Keeley recalled. "I thought, 'this is going to be weird'. When I ran out, I was like 'oh wow, this is actually real'."
Bryan, a Mackay product who joined the Knights this year, was a prop for the Maroons. Keeley grew up on the Central Coast.
For prop Bradbury, Origin was a milestone after overcoming consecutive knee reconstructions in recent years. "I was just buzzing," the Wangi Wangi Warriors junior said.
The trio will embark on their first preseason with the NRL squad later this year.
