Warriors prodigy Reece Walsh says he's ready and waiting for his NRL debut which could come as soon as this Sunday against Melbourne.
The 18-year-old packed his bags last week and moved from Brisbane to join the Warriors, excited to be mentored by one of the best fullbacks in the game in Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
But his learnings may be fast-tracked with Walsh named on an extended bench for the Anzac Day clash.
Walsh said he felt up to the challenge if he got the nod from coach Nathan Brown and had been buoyed by the recent success of fellow teenager, Sydney Roosters half Sam Walker.
"I feel ready now, it's a matter of time when Browny feels like it's right or the boys feel like it's right for me to come in," Walsh said on Tuesday.
"We do have a lot of injuries and if the opportunity was there and I got given it I'd take it and I wouldn't look back."
He said conversations with Warriors skipper Tohu Harris as well as Tuivasa-Sheck were integral in convincing him to sign.
"I wanted to get here as soon as possible so that I could take in the knowledge and learn from him (Tuivasa-Sheck), see what he does on and off the field," Walsh said.
"That played a major part in me signing with the club and wanting to get over here a year early to learn off him."
He didn't think he would carry a burden of being the next Tuivasa-Sheck, with the Test star switching codes to rugby union next year.
"I know I need to go out there and play my style of footy," Walsh said.
"I know everyone's going to expect that I'm filling Roger's shoes, but I'm not Roger and I'm a different player to Roger.
"I know that if I go out there and do what I can do that will handle itself."
Raised by his father and his wife, Walsh does have Kiwi connections with his birth mother a New Zealander whom he doesn't have contact with.
But Walsh said he'd never been to New Zealand and didn't have a passport, although was sorting that out with the Warriors to return home.
"I'm excited to go over there and see a new part of the world and hopefully meet some family from that side."
