When 18-year-old Casey McLean was notified by Panthers coach Ivan Cleary that he’d be making his NRL debut that weekend, he felt sick to his stomach with nerves.
“I remember him pulling me aside at training and he sat me down and said, ‘you’ll be making your debut this weekend’,” McLean told the Weekender.
“I was just starstruck. I had no words. My stomach was turning. I was nervous. I called my mum and dad straight away.”
McLean’s apprehension was due to the fact that he never thought in his wildest dreams that he’d be making his first grade debut just two months after his 18th birthday – making him one of the youngest debutants in Panthers history.
It was a huge show of faith in the supremely talented local junior, who also inked a new multi-year contract with the club just a couple of weeks prior.
McLean, who is a centre but played on the wing, said his debut against the Cowboys in Round 17 was a “good taste of first grade” but those nerves… yep, they were still there.
“It got to Game Day and all those nerves just kicked in again,” he admitted.
“I woke up nervous. I had all these little fidgets. But I got through it. I got to the warm-up and going out into that environment with all those fans, it was just something else.”
Another ‘pinch me’ moment for McLean was getting to play alongside some of the best players the Panthers club has ever produced. While they were missing a host of their Origin stars for that June 30 clash at BlueBet Stadium, there was still plenty of incredible talent written on the final team sheet.
“Running out with the likes of James Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota, players I used to watch growing up,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe I was looking either side of me and I was running out next to them. It was just surreal, and I can’t wait to do it again.”
Panthers supporters will be seeing a lot more of McLean in the coming years after he and his brother Jesse signed a new deal to remain with the Premiers until the end of 2028.
“This club is the best in the comp – three premierships in a row – you can’t really turn it down,” he said.
“Knowing the club wanted us, especially together, it’s just going to be a dream come true when Jesse and I get to run out together for the first time.
“I think that will be the start of many games to come. It’s a dream for both of us to play together in the NRL.”
The McLean brothers follow a long line of siblings that have played for the Panthers over the decades. While many never got to play together on the big stage, the odds are certainly in the McLeans’ favour.
“Our parents are really proud of us,” he said.
“Not because of where we are but because they’ve seen the work we’ve put in, the dedication, and what this club will turn us into… not just as players but as young men.
“I feel like this club’s environment will make us better young men with the choices we make both in and outside of footy.”
He has been named in the centres for this Sunday’s clash against the Dolphins.
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.