After storming onto the NRL scene last season as a lanky 18-year-old, Casey McLean would love nothing more than continue his trajectory to rugby league stardom in 2025.
Following his debut for the Panthers in June, McLean would go on to play seven games in first grade last season, which culminated in being named in the New Zealand Test squad for the end of year Pacific Championships.
After admitting to ‘being a sponge’ for much of the tournament, McLean was finally selected to make his Kiwis debut in the very last game of the Championships.
And he didn’t disappoint – scoring an eye-watering four tries against Papua New Guinea in what was also New Zealand legend Shaun Johnson’s last ever game of professional rugby league.
To say it was an unforgettable moment for the teenager would be a massive understatement.
“Being amongst that Kiwi squad, I was just happy to be there taking it all in, to be honest,” McLean told the Weekender.
“Shaun Johnson was there, Peta Hiku was there… just being able to learn from their experiences and see how they go about things.
“Even getting that one game – it was a surreal moment being able to tell my mum and my dad that I was representing their culture, my culture. It was just an unreal feeling the whole time. Being able to reflect on that now, it’s just mind-boggling!”
Now that special experience on the international stage has McLean craving more big games in the future. His next opportunity will be in March when he likely lines up for the Panthers against the Cronulla Sharks in the NRL season opener in Las Vegas.
While not set in stone, many believe that McLean is one of the favourites to earn the vacant wing spot that Sunia Turuva made his own over the past two seasons.
McLean said it’s his goal this pre-season to win that spot over his slightly older brother Jesse and fellow contender Asu Kepaoa.
“That’s definitely a big goal for me trying to lock down that position… but there is still competition with my brother and Asu Kepaoa,” he said.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself because I need to earn that spot and I need to focus day by day and drill by drill to put my best foot forward to help myself get that role.”
McLean and his brother Jesse are yet to play a first grade game together in their burgeoning careers. While they did get an opportunity to line-up in an U19 Origin game for NSW last year, it did end prematurely when Jesse was knocked out very early in the contest.
“That’s a big goal for us this year, to play first grade together – that’s a big one for both of us,” McLean admitted.
“If we run out side by side that won’t only be a big one for us, but our family as well. It will feel like we are playing junior footy again.
“He and I played in the same team for about 10 years and to step up and take that to the big stage would be a dream come true.”
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender's Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.