THOMAS Cant's top-grade career spans only 122 minutes to this point, but it's been more than long enough for him to experience the harsh realities of the NRL's school of hard knocks.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
An East Maitland Griffins junior and former skipper of Newcastle's Jersey Flegg side, Cant made his NRL debut in round three last season, when the Knights were heavily depleted at home against the Dolphins.
Usually a back-rower, he played 42 minutes in the middle and held his own, racking up 29 tackles against a rugged Dolphins pack featuring the Bromwich brothers, Felise Kaufusi, Tom Gilbert and Mark Nicholls.
The end result, a 36-20 loss, was disappointing, but Cant had lived out a dream by playing first-grade footy for the team he supported as a kid.
It took 16 months, however, before he next appeared in the NRL, and this time the challenge was vastly different.
With Origin stars Dane Gagai and Bradman Best unavailable and Enari Tuala injured, Knights coach Adam O'Brien pitched Cant in as a stopgap centre against Manly's Turbo-charged backline at Brookvale.
It would have been a daunting task for a grizzled veteran, let alone a rookie, and the Sea Eagles were ruthless in their execution.
But if Cant was caught out defensively on occasions, he gained the most attacking metres by any Newcastle player - 170m from 21 runs - which would suggest that on a bleak day for the Knights, nobody tried harder.
Those numbers should perhaps be no surprise, given how the 22-year-old has been tracking this season in NSW Cup. In the three reserve-grade games before he was recalled to face Manly, he had scored six tries, including a hat-trick.
The Knights have rewarded that form by extending Cant's tenure for another two seasons, giving him a shot at establishing himself as an NRL regular.
"That's the goal," he told the Newcastle Herald. "To be in Adzy's 17 each week would be great and that's what I'm striving to achieve."
Having seen first-hand how tough it is, he's coming back for more.
And to do so with Newcastle was always his preference, despite interest from other clubs.
"It's a bit of a reward for my hard work and I'm stoked," he said of his new contract.
"I was always keen to stay here ... I'm a Hunter boy and I want to be a part of the great team we're building here.
"So to extend my stay here is great."
