AS NATHAN PEATS and Kane Morgan sat at No Names restaurant in Maroubra Junction Hotel to watch South Sydney play Parramatta last Friday night as part of their pre-match tradition, the two wondered aloud when they would be out there on that particular stage.
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''We said, 'Imagine if we made our debuts next week, together','' Peats recalled yesterday. ''We go to dinner every week before our games, just a few of us. It's our routine. We just sat there watching the Souths game on TV, just having a laugh.''
Peats, 20, and Morgan, 21, have waited years for their moment, and it is just one of league's little quirks that they will share it on the same night, against Manly tomorrow in Gosford.
Apart from having a weekly meal together, they have played together as South Sydney Juniors - from Harold Matthews to SG Ball, Toyota Cup and, until last weekend, the Bears.
Now, following the withdrawals of second-rower Sam Burgess (shoulder) and fullback Rhys Wesser (hamstring), the two will continue their development together. Morgan will play right wing , while Peats will be a utility forward off the bench.
When they arrived at training at Redfern yesterday, they knew Burgess and Wesser were out but had no idea of their own elevations.
''Kane got named at No.2 … he was in shock because he didn't know he was going to get picked, so I started thinking as the team kept getting named, 'I might have a chance here','' Peats said.
''Then, when I got named, I looked at Kano. I was in shock.''
Morgan added: ''It's the best feeling in my life. You dream about it when you're a kid and now it's actually here. I rang my mum and she started crying - that hit me in the heart. Then I rang my dad - all I wanted to do was make my dad proud, so hopefully I've done it.''
Peats, of course, is the son of a former Rabbitoh, Geordi, whom he telephoned straight away.
''We're pretty close,'' Peats said. ''Dad's been a big help with my footy. He'll talk me through it. It's another step in my career.''
The pair will eat their pre-match dinner with Greg Inglis, Roy Asotasi and Issac Luke among others, with the Rabbitohs in camp from tonight on the Central Coast. There will be no dinner at No Names. That might be prophetic; Morgan and Peats, no names no longer.
