Following his best season to date, Curtis Sironen finally feels as though he's beginning to make a solid dent on the NRL, after being rewarded with a call-up to Brad Fittler's pre-season NSW camp.
The Sea Eagles forward admitted entering the NRL limelight with huge expectations hanging over his head, given his surname, was a challenge.
But after starring in Manly's resurgent season under returning coach Des Hasler, the 26-year-old has set about writing his own legacy outside that of father and New South Wales and Tigers legend Paul Sironen.
"I just embrace it now," the Origin hopeful said. "Maybe a couple of years ago I might've been.. not embarrassed but just sort of... you cast a big shadow, but now I just embrace it.
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"I'm proud of everything Dad did as well, I'm just trying make my own name now, that's my goal."
After debuting in Tigers colours in 2012 with the rugby league world expecting big things, Sironen has battled with persistent injuries throughout his eight-year career.
Season 2019 was the first the aggressive edge forward clocked has more than 20 games in a season.
And whilst a foot injury on the eve of the finals ended the Manly star's season early, Sironen feels like he's finally turned a corner.
"One of my best qualities has been my perseverance so just always getting these injuries and setbacks but I've been setting goals and trying to get over them," he said.
"I got hurt in round 26 and I didn't get to enjoy the finals and experience all of that. That was disappointing for me because you work so hard in pre-season, play every game and then get cut short like that.
"I was proud of some of the footsteps [I made], I've made some progress, but there's still a long way to go and I know that, that's sort of just the foundation now. I just want to keep improving and see how far I go.
"Making this [pre-season NSW camp] is just a reward for that hard work and just shows that it is worth it and there are still lots of things I want to achieve."
Blooding 13 new faces when he first took over as Blues coach in 2018, and another seven new names in 2019, Brad Fittler has demonstrated he's not afraid to experiment.
And Sironen admits his selection in the 36-man senior squad for Fittler's pre-season camp had further ignited the fire in his belly.
"For me personally this has always been one of my goals, to eventually play State of Origin. So this is the camp you want to be on at this time of the year and the people you want to be around," he said.
"I think he's shown in the last couple of years he's not afraid to chop and change and pick the team that he wants. It puts the onus back on the players you sort of have to perform at club level and show him you're capable at that level.
"He was just talking about some of the things he looks for in players and what good Origin players will do back at their clubs, so it's a bit of food for thought and a lot of things we can take things back for the rest of pre-season and the start the year."
