While the 2020 Brisbane Broncos have entered the record books for all the wrong reasons, young Kiwi Jordan Riki has emerged as a player capable of taking the team in a new direction.
The Broncos have slumped to a club-record eighth consecutive loss and their 14th of the season with a 25-12 defeat to Penrith Panthers at Suncorp Stadium.
But while his team lost - again - Riki's performance was a highlight, coming off the bench, logging 48 minutes, scoring his first career try and making 34 tackles.
The 20-year-old debuted against Canberra Raiders, when coach Anthony Seibold left the Broncos bubble and then-assistant Peter Gentle took over.
Gentle is full of praise for Riki, whom he believes is the perfect replacement for David Fifita, who has signed a multi-million dollar deal with Gold Coast Titans.
"He is one of those young players you talk about," he says. "The club needs a back-rower, doesn't it, and we have been grooming him.
"He moves well for a big boy, and he's only a baby too. There's something to look forward to there."
The former Junior Kiwis captain has had a tough season, after sustaining a knee injury, returning to New Zealand when the season was suspended and having to quarantine before returning to Brisbane.
"When he debuted, we talked about what he has been through," Gentle adds. "[Between injuries] he spent time in quarantine and he's not a bloke who needs to be by himself, he needs people around him."
"But he's going to be good. We've been pushing his time, he had 50 minutes [against Penrith] and he was still cruising."
Meanwhile, the Panthers are at the opposite end of their journey, as they extended their franchise-record win streak to 12. Only 2016 champions Cronulla Sharks with 15 consecutive wins and 2002 Canterbury Bulldogs with 17 have achieved more in the NRL era.
NZ Warriors' 18-12 loss last month is still the closest anyone has come to toppling the Panthers during their win streak. They face Parramatta Eels next weekend and a win against their western rivals would all but secure them the regular season title.
"A minor premiership in any season would be a great honour," says Panthers coach Ivan Cleary. "We certainly love to do it.
"You actually do get a trophy for it, but I also think it's a credit to whoever wins it for consistency throughout the home-and-away season.
"I think that has been a real highlight for us - our consistency - not just winning, but to be able to deliver performances that give us opportunities to win in different places in different situations."
Cleary has also praised Penrith's own hard-working Kiwi forward, James Fisher-Harris, who moved from prop to lock,running for 259 metres and making 32 tackles.
"He has been good for every game for pretty much two years now," Cleary says. "He was back to lock tonight, and is continually hungry for more and to improve.
"He is a joy to coach."
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