Having come through his NRL debut with a boyhood dream realised and a win against the Sharks, Titans halfback Kane Elgey has now set his sights on bringing to an end the three-game winning streak of the team he supported as a kid.
Growing up on the Gold Coast and playing his junior footy with Tugun, Elgey's early NRL allegiances lay with the Broncos before the arrival of the Titans in 2007 gave him the opportunity to switch to the local team.
On Friday night the Titans host their more accomplished rivals from up the M1 in search of their first win at home for 2015 and with the added confidence that only a win – albeit a scrappy one – can bring.
The elevation to first grade has come earlier for the reigning under-20s player of the year than many had expected but he has vowed to showcase more of his skills if given the opportunity to play against Brisbane on Friday night.
"It's a short turnaround and I guess it's every kid's dream to play the Broncos so for me, I hope I get the chance and hopefully the win on the weekend will turn the boys around," said Elgey, who cites Broncos legend Darren Lockyer as his favourite all-time player.
"Growing up I always wanted to play the Broncos or play for them so the dream's here and hopefully I get to play on Friday night and get the two points.
"I was with the Titans when I was 15 so I've been here for a while and it's every kid's dream to play on a Friday night on Channel Nine so hopefully I get selected and I'll be overwhelmed if I get the chance.
"I'll definitely be a bit more confident. I was holding back a bit and trying to get into the game but I know what to expect now.
"The boys believe in me so I guess I've just got to believe in myself."
Sensing an opportunity to put the new kid under pressure as both teams eyed their first win of the season, the Sharks hammered away at the Titans' left-edge defence where Elgey was defending in the early stages of the game on Saturday.
Against the Broncos Elgey will have to contend with the likes of Matt Gillett and Sam Thaiday charging at him and he knows it is an area of his game that he needs to work hard on to maintain a place in the NRL team.
"I did what I had to do. It was my first game of first grade and I thought I held my own a bit I guess," said the 21-year-old, who made 17 tackles but missed a team-high four tackles.
"Defensively maybe I missed a few so I'll try and fix that on the training paddock and hopefully I get a go on Friday night against the Broncos.
"I'm not going to lie, it was [an eye-opener] and the speed of the game was just enormous. Them coming down my side made it a bit worse.
"I wasn't used to the speed but they came down my side the first 20 minutes pretty strong so I got into the game early which was probably the best thing for me.
"I sort of know what to expect now. Going into that first game I sort of wasn't sure what to expect so that will build my confidence and I'm excited [to play on Friday]."
