Liam Ison's Sharks teammates were sent into raptures during a meeting when coach Craig Fitzgibbon announced the unsuspecting fullback would make his NRL debut against the Cowboys on Saturday.
The 19-year-old speedster will become Shark #561 after being named to replace the suspended Will Kennedy at Townsville's Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
"It means the world; it's a surreal feeling to finally get the debut," the St Marys Saints junior told Sharks Media.
"Fitzy (coach Craig Fitzgibbon) broke the news. We were in a team meeting. DJ (assistant coach Daniel Holdsworth) previously said just to come in for the day because they needed some numbers. I wasn't really expecting it.
"Fitzy told me in front of all the boys and all the boys got around it, which was good. It was a great feeling."
The dynamic custodian, who arrived at Cronulla from Penrith over the summer, credited the environment at the Sharks with helping him to excel.
"It definitely feels like home," he said.
"The culture is great; it feels safe and very comfortable to be in. We've been playing some good footy lately and hopefully can keep that run going."
Ison started the season in the under-21 Jersey Flegg Cup before establishing himself in the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup for the Newtown Jets, Cronulla's feeder club.
Boasting dazzling pace, natural attacking timing and an ability to play well above his weight, Ison has turned heads with nine tries, five try assists and seven line breaks in 10 matches for the Jets.
It's been a steep rise for the polite youngster nicknamed Ice, but his teammates are confident he'll handle the leap to the top level with aplomb.
"He's impressed a lot of the boys from the moment he's come with his attitude and his work ethic," centre Jesse Ramien said.
"Some of the games he's putting together for Newtown have been unreal. I don't think he'll let anyone down. All the boys have got full faith in him. I'm looking forward to it.
"He's just explosive and fast. He's someone who can break a game open, I guess. Some of the stuff he does at training, his footwork and his speed make the boys look silly."
Braden Hamlin-Uele described Ison as a "ball of energy".
"He just doesn't get tired. He's so nippy around the ground, so fast to get across the ground; he can stop on a dime and change direction," the prop continued.
"He's a vocal player too. He tells his big boys where to go on the field and we listen to him and respect him … I'm sure he's looking forward to it. He'll do a job for us."
Playmaker Daniel Atkinson, who has linked up with Ison regularly for Newtown, added: "When we go opposed in training, he’s hard to handle, quick on his feet and he just backs himself. He's just a footy player through and through."
Ison is set to be the fourth Sharks debutant this season, following Tuku Hau Tapuha (Round 2), Billy Burns (Round 3) and Sam Stonestreet (Round 7).
