Tom Starling has always let his footy do the talking, but he is equally determined to make a mark by helping build the culture and connection that makes the Canberra Raiders so special.
On Saturday afternoon, the Raiders hooker lived another chapter of that dream, running out in the green jersey for the 150th time and helping his side to a victory in front of more than 19,000 fans.
A true clubman, Starling has embraced every aspect of life in Canberra, from the hard work at training to helping the club's next generation establish themselves in the NRL.
Looking back, Starling still finds it hard to believe he has become the type of player he once looked up to.
"As a young kid I used to idolise rugby league players, and if I went to a game and got to high-five one I wouldn’t have washed my hands for a week," Starling told NRL.com.
"If you go back and speak to that little kid and tell him he’s going to be one of them one day, he’d be pretty excited for the life he’s going to live."
All the angles: That crazy Tom Starling try!
The hooker continues to inspire the next generation of rugby league players devoting his time to helping others.
That commitment stems from his own experience as a young player and he is quick to credit the senior leaders who helped shape his early years with the Green Machine.
“I had some really good ones when I was coming through the ranks,” he said after the 34-24 win over Souths.
“We played against one of them today in Jack Wighton, as well as Josh Hodgson and I don’t want to name too many people because I’ll leave someone out that deserves it, but you know they’re a couple that just come off the top of my head.”
Now, as a senior player himself, Starling, who has played all but one game of his NRL career with the Raiders, has stepped up into a leadership position.
“I just like making the place enjoyable. I like making people laugh, I like making people excited to come in here and I think that’s just who I am," he said.
“It’s not necessarily trying to do anything, I just try and be myself and hopefully people just gravitate towards that.
“It’s not that I intentionally go out and try to be a leader. I’ll just be me and then you know, if a young fella needs help along the way, I’ll definitely step up and help him out.”
