Knights forward Brodie Jones describes it as his "big holy s--t moment".
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In the red and blue he had dreamt of wearing, and playing his first top-flight game, the Cessnock junior was already living the dream.
But in Newcastle's opening 2020 NRL Nines game in Perth, Jones took an offload from a Knights legend a few metres out from the try-line.
"Kurt Gidley, he set me up for a try. That was probably, my like, big holy s--t moment," Jones recalled, ahead of returning to Perth to face the Dolphins on Saturday.
"It's Kurt Gidley, he's been retired for however many years and he comes out and kills it. It was a good experience, I've still got the jersey."
Since that memorable day, Jones has played 50 NRL games, a milestone he made a priority after a disrupted 2022. He was desperate to reach it with his hometown club, doing so in last week's win over Canberra.
"I was pretty emotional," Jones admitted. "I'm not a real emotional guy, but it was important to me to play 50 Knights games, not just NRL games. I love the club."
![Brodie Jones, left, played his 50th NRL game last week. Picture by Simone De Peak Brodie Jones, left, played his 50th NRL game last week. Picture by Simone De Peak](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/max.mckinney/ceaf95bf-9824-4212-bf73-91aec810367b.jpg/r0_0_2988_1916_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Lachlan Fitzgibbon presented Jones his 50th jersey. He has played his entire career with Fitzgibbon, who is departing the club at season's end and has only five - maybe more if Newcastle make the finals - games left.
But off contract, how many more Jones plays for the club remains to be seen. He is yet to be offered a new deal.
In typical team-first fashion, he has put any thoughts of his future to the side.
"I just let my manager do his thing and I go out and play footy," Jones said.
![Jones has made eight NRL appearances in 2023. Picture by Jonathan Carroll Jones has made eight NRL appearances in 2023. Picture by Jonathan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/max.mckinney/388c472b-5f71-43fe-bdf5-689c81f0859d.jpg/r0_0_4804_3203_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I'm backing us to be in the finals, so I'm more worried about that before any of the contract stuff. This team is at the forefront of my mind, and I'll do whatever I need to do to help them."
While reaching 50 games was important for Jones, the 25-year-old isn't content.
"No, because it's been a fair roller-coaster. I want more."
After playing seven NRL games in 2020, Jones featured in 22 the following year. But last season, injuries and illness restricted him to just 13. At one point, he lost an incredible 11 kilograms.
"Last year was a year to forget," he said. "It was such a high to such a low. I could barely string a few games together, and then I lost 11 kilos. I don't know what it was, I couldn't leave bed.
"I started playing again at the end of the year, but I didn't have any foundation beneath me. I just tried to grind my way through with whatever I had left."
Fit and healthy again, Jones has played eight NRL matches this season. He will come off the bench against the Dolphins, who are all but out of the finals race in 14th on 22 competition points.
The Knights, in ninth and on 25, are chasing a fifth-consecutive win, which could lift them into the eight depending on other results.
The Dolphins claimed a 36-20 win when the sides met in March, but Newcastle were a depleted outfit and had three debutants.
The Redcliffe-based side have lost six of their past seven games.
Kick-off at Optus Stadium is from 5.30pm (AEST).
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