Just like the Warriors' overall performance against Newcastle, it was a rollercoaster debut for young gun Isaiah Papalii.
But that has only left the 18-year-old forward hungry for more.
Called into action in the 48th-minute for injured back-rower Simon Mannering, Papalii suffered an early setback when he and Bodene Thompson were unable to stop a barnstorming Jack Stockwell close to the try-line, which kick-started the Knights' ultimately unsuccessful comeback.
Coach Stephen Kearney was delighted with his response though, particularly on defence, as the former schoolboy rugby star got through 13 tackles in 21 minutes and took the ball up with gusto in the Warriors' nail-biting 26-22 win.
"It was a real pressure cooker out there for him but I thought he did really well," Kearney said.
"For us as a football club that's what we want to encourage, these young kids that are coming through, is to give them the opportunity to be better NRL players."
Papalii's elevation to first grade has come much sooner than expected but he practically forced Kearney's hand through a stellar pre-season and some strong performances in the trials.
He showed on Sunday that he has the temperament to match his ability and Papalii said Kearney's straightforward instructions left him confident of handling the occasion.
"It definitely kept me calm-headed," he said. "I was relaxed coming into the game knowing my role wasn't something where I had to pull out a miracle or anything.
"It was a dream come true, growing up watching NRL throughout my childhood, to get out on the field and actually get a crack at it is a memory to cherish forever."
While Papalii was contracted to the Warriors in 2016, rugby took priority as he completed his final year at Auckland's Mt Albert Grammar.
He went on to be named the best first XV player in the country, producing the kind of eye-catching displays that was sure to have left union scouts wondering how on earth they let him get away.
But Papalii said there was never any doubt as to where his future lay.
"Growing up playing league, because of the school I went to I got put into a rugby programme but I knew coming out of school what I wanted to do was league," he added.
"I wasn't too torn between the two, I was more ready for league straight out of school."
Showing just how talented he is, Papalii was also a junior Oceania powerlifting champion and with his family owning a cross-fit gym he's keen to follow in the industry having enrolled in a personal training course.
One gets the feeling he will have plenty of heavy lifting to do at the Warriors before that gets put to use.
"It was another step up from the trials and definitely a step up from under-20s," Papalii said.
"I'm keen to get more taste of it and just keep on getting more experience and match fitness
Photo: Getty Images ANTHONY AU-YEUNG (Former schoolboy rugby star Isaiah Papalii said his future was always in league).