Matt Soper-Lawler reckons it's "right up there".
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The chance to don a NSW Country jersey, at one of rugby league's most famous grounds, and alongside some of his closest friends.
For the Maitland Pickers back, one of 11 Newcastle Rugby League players named in Country's squad for Saturday's annual clash with City, it will be a highlight in his rugby league journey.
The centre is one of a handful from the local contingent who will be wearing the famous Country colours in the rebooted senior format for the first time.
"It's a massive honour," Soper-Lawler told the Newcastle Herald, ahead of travelling to Sydney on Wednesday for a multi-day camp before the representative fixture.
"As a kid, you'd always watch City versus Country growing up, and being from the Country that's who you'd always support.
"It's obviously not the same, it hasn't got the same feel about it as when it was an Origin trial ... but it's a huge achievement and something I'm very excited about.
"As far as representative level goes, this is the furthest I've reached.
"They did an under-18s Country team, but I didn't even get picked for the [Newcastle] Rebels team that year ... and they did a 23s team a few years later ... but I was in Q-Cup by then."
The rep selection is a nice reward for Soper-Lawler, who has been one of the Newcastle competition's most damaging backs in recent years, helping Maitland to back-to-back titles.
The 27-year-old, a teacher at Shortland Public School where he works in special needs, spent three years in the Queensland Cup across 2017-19, where he scored 51 tries in 67 games.
His stint up north at Sunshine Coast and later Souths Logan was book-ended by a couple of years featuring, sporadically, for the Knights in NSW Cup. He also played in the NRL Nines in 2020.
Firmly entrenched at Maitland for the past few years, Soper-Lawler has got the chance to play at Parramatta's CommBank Stadium during the Pickers' recent President's Cup finals appearances, but he was looking forward to running out at Leichhardt Oval for Country.
"It will be good to play at a ground like that, it's obviously got so much history and tradition," he said. "It will be something I'll remember for a long time."
A late call-up for Country, Soper-Lawler will feature alongside fellow Pickers Chad O'Donnell, Jayden Butterfield and James Taylor, who is also debuting. Lincoln Smith is understood to have been picked but was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Country coach Wade Forrester is yet to name a 1-17, but Soper-Lawler was expecting to feature in an all-Newcastle left edge.
The representative game comes after five NEWRL rounds in which Maitland have recorded three wins, a loss and a draw.
Soper-Lawler, who has played fullback in the absence of injured custodian Daniel Langbridge, said it had not been the start the Pickers were after but they were pleased to score a quality 34-12 win over Lakes United on Sunday.
"We haven't started how we'd expect on our own standards," he said.
"We got away with two scrappy wins against the Hawks and Kurri, but to be honest, if we played any other team, they probably beat us. We got lucky in those two games.
"Then we got our pants pulled down against Wests and come back late, so we were pretty disappointed with that performance, and Cessnock was a bash-up.
"To get the win against Lakes is something we probably needed for our confidence going forward."
Part of a two-day Country v City program at Leichardt Oval also featuring junior boys and girls fixtures, the men's game kicks off at 2.20pm on Saturday.
All nine matches across the weekend can be watched via NSWRL TV, which is available via a dedicated app or through NSWRL.com.
The other NEWRL players in the Country squad are: Cameron Anderson (Central), Luke Huth, Honeti Tuha (Cessnock), Lewis Hamilton, Ryan Glanville (Souths), Jake Woods and Ryan Shaw (The Entrance).
Representative pair sign on for 2025
CESSNOCK have locked down their Country representatives Luke Huth and Honeti Tuha for 2025.
Huth, who played in the rep fixture last year, and Tuha, who is on debut, both recently signed on for at least another year.
"I'll probably be here until I'm dead and buried," Huth joked after Cessnock's 26-16 win over Central on Sunday.
The competition leaders remain unbeaten after four games, one point ahead of Souths. Their next match is a Coalfields derby at Kurri Kurri on May 25 before meeting Souths at Merewether on June 2.
Key duo to miss lone catch-up game
SOUTH Newcastle will take on Macquarie without Country reps Ryan Glanville and Lewis Hamilton in a lone men's first-grade match on Saturday.
Second and unbeaten after three games, the Lions have made an impressive start to 2024 but the duo are big outs against a ninth-placed Macquarie who will be desperate to grab two points from the catch-up game that was washed-out a fortnight ago.
There is otherwise a league-wide bye in the men's grades.
The women's tackle competition continues, however, with all three fixtures to be played at St John Oval on Saturday.
Central host Maitland at 11.45am on the main field, while Lakes take on Souths at the same time on the second pitch.
Unbeaten leaders meet Raymond Terrace from 3.30pm. Wests have a bye.
Women's ladder: Wyong (2 points), Central, Lakes, Raymond Terrace (2), Maitland, Souths, Wests, (0).
Standout forward cops two-game ban
Meanwhile, Central forward Nick Ritter has copped a two-game suspension for a grade-one crusher tackle.
Maitland skipper Alex Langbridge will miss one game for a grade-two dangerous contact charge, as will Kurri's Ben Edwards a grade-one careless high tackle.
All three players submitted early-guilty pleas.
Men's first-grade ladder: Cessnock (9 Points); Souths, The Entrance (8); Maitland, Wests (7); Central (6); Lakes United (5); Wyong, Macquarie (4); Northern, Kurri Kurri (0).
