HE started the year just hoping to nail down a spot on the bench and play some regular first grade with the Newcastle Knights. Now Phoenix Crossland could find himself having to make an unexpected and possibly career-defining decision regarding representative football.
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Crossland delivered the finest performance of his rapidly developing career on Sunday as Newcastle prevailed 30-28 over Canberra in a nerve-racking elimination final at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The 23-year-old played the full 90 minutes, after scores were locked 28-all at the end of regulation time, making more tackles (60) and touching the ball more times (110) than any other player on the field. And conveniently, watching from the grandstand was Canberra assistant coach Michael Maguire, who moonlights as head coach of the New Zealand national team.
Crossland was born in Wellington, the NZ capital, but moved to the Central Coast when he was four.
That makes him eligible for the Kiwis, and while Brandon Smith would appear the likely first-choice hooker for end-of-season Tests against Samoa and Australia, Crossland's versatility could earn him a bench-utility spot.
The only issue is that would then rule the former NSW junior representative out of potentially playing at State of Origin level in the future.
Crossland said he was "100 per cent" interested in playing for the Kiwis, but if he was approached he would need to discuss his options with Knights coach Adam O'Brien and football manager Danny Buderus, who is an assistant on NSW Origin coach Brad Fittler's staff.
"I'm not really stressing over it at all," he said. "I haven't really been in a position to think about that too hard.
"So I couldn't really give you an answer right now. I couldn't definitely say yes or no. It's something that if it did happen I guess I'd have to sit down and think about, and talk about with Adzy or Bedsy.
"Even to get tossed up in conversation is a bit of an honour. Certainly not something I was expecting."
Crossland played for NSW under-16s and under-18s as a halfback but, after 60 NRL games - including 24 this season - he appears to have found himself a home at dummy-half.
"Freddy [Fittler] actually coached me in 16s," he said. "I've got a good relationship with him. It's a bit of an honour to to be mentioned for rep footy, but it's all just talk at the moment."
Asked who he supported when Australia played against New Zealand in sporting events, Crossland replied: "Whoever's winning."
"It'd be something pretty cool to represent the country where I was born and my family, but if I don't get the call, life goes on," he added.
Crossland will again be a key figure for the Knights in Saturday's do-or-die final against the Warriors in Auckland.
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