It's hard to pinpoint which moment pops into Lachlan Ilias' head when he runs out against the Red V in Mudgee for the annual Charity Shield.
Is it his NRL debut in the final regular season round of 2021, scoring his maiden try minutes into the contest, or the dreaded Round 15 clash in Wollongong last season, where the halfback was benched 29 minutes into the match, trailing 32-0.
It's the the pinnacle and the rock bottom for Ilias' young career, all rolled into an opposition's red and white jersey.
While Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker and Damien Cook's contract status was the talk of the off-season, Ilias also quietly put pen to paper, a well-earned extension locking the halfback in through to the end of 2025.
He couldn't have bigger boots to fill after the departure of club legend Adam Reynolds, finishing his Redfern career as the team's highest-ever point-scorer, top five in games played, and the only halfback to win a competition in cardinal-and-myrtle in the last half century.
Unless Ilias has anything to do it.
The halfback didn't miss a beat after his Dragons' benching, standing tall and working on his game instead of sulking, and becoming the unsung hero of the South Sydney side as they charged into a fifth consecutive preliminary final.
Andrew Johns described the 22-year-old as the 'best defensive half in the NRL', a massive wrap for the youngster coming off a World Cup campaign for Greece.
Jason Demetriou can't wait to see him progress even further.
โLachie finished the year in first grade looking really comfortable and knowing his role,โ Demetriou toldย The Sydney Morning Herald.
โHe's taken that on into this pre-season and he's probably had a better summer. Just through the sheer amount of training he's been able to do, last year he had a back surgery and that limited the reps we could get into him.
โBut now he's confident, he knows what the game's about. The experiences all throughout last year have been really good for him and he's looking good to improve his game again.โ
Demetriou is also set to sign a one-year extension with the Rabbitohs, locking him in through to the end of 2025, meaning the club's entire spine as well as their head coach will be in place for the next three seasons.
Bunnies' CEO Blake Solly saw similarities between the coach and rookie half, one stepping out of Reynolds' shadow, while Demetriou stepped out of Wayne Bennett's.
โThere's a lot of similarities between Jason and Lachie actually,โ CEO Blake Solly said.
โThey both had a lot of scrutiny on them last year and a lot of pressure from outside the club as they stepped into new roles and handled that really well.
โThey're both very calm and composed and when you look at how guys like Lachie and Davvy Moale have come into first grade, Jason's been integral to that.
โWe had our reward for Jason's composure with a great finals run and we're very happy with things, we'll work through those extension talks over the next couple of months.โ
Both Ilias and Demetriou are in Mudgee for the annual Charity Shield, against an undermanned St George Illawarra outfit, and while the sun will be beaming down at Glen Willow Stadium, the two have been standing in the shadows long enough.
