AT the start of the year, Sam McIntyre just wanted to cement his place in the Wests Tigers under-20 side.
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By the end of his 2018 campaign – which started with an appearance in a trial against the North Queensland Cowboys in Cairns – he had largely bypassed the under-20s straight the Intrust Super Premiership.
When asked what he had made of the first year of a three-year deal at Concord – which he signed last September – McIntyre simply said “I loved it.”
“I learned heaps from all the senior boys and it was a good experience to play in the Cup a lot against men at that level,” he said.
“It’s all getting me ready for next year I guess.”
Written in the fine print of the three-year deal with the Tigers stated the first year would form part of his development phase.
McIntyre said it was “mainly more training for first grade and getting used to it.”
That brief taste of first grade along with rubbing shoulders with Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall has the 20-year-old poised to make the jump into the top grade, possibly in 2019.
“I’d like to play a game here and there (in 2019) because it’s (first grade) what I want to do, but if it’s not next year and the year after so be it,” the second-rower said.
“But I’m aiming to get a game next year.
“I want to have a really good pre-season so that I have the best chance of perhaps getting a game early in the year in first grade.
“I’ll do everything possible to get my foot in the door and playing well.”
The Port Macquarie product spent five years in Newcastle playing in the Knights junior system, but he enjoyed making the step up to the next level with the Tigers.
“The Knights were really good to me and looked after me from when I was 15 years old until I was 20, but it was always junior development and playing junior grades,” he said.
McIntyre played in 16 matches for the Western Suburbs Magpies in the Intrust Super Premiership, crossing for two tries and making 270 tackles.
It’s not a bad start for a player who was only focused on under-20s.
And what did he learn out of his first season training with a senior side?
“I learned being versatile and playing out of position is a good thing so instead of just playing back row, centre, wing, front row or lock, I’m confident to do it all,” he said.
“I’m just learning little things off every single person and trying to make my game that little bit better.”
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