Kurt Capewell's fifth NRL game could be a grand final.
"It's pretty crazy how it has all worked out; I've waited all season to get a start," the newest member of Cronulla's first-grade squad said.
"All of a sudden, a couple of injuries and I'm playing finals in my third game of NRL. It's unbelievable."
It's a scenario unthinkable during his stints at the Jets, whether they be the Ipswich and Newtown variety. Just a few years ago Capewell, who was cut by Brisbane and the Roosters after spending time in their NYC squads, was living in a caravan, wondering what his footballing future would hold.
"I was originally living at Ben's when their house got flooded," he said of Ipswich coach and family friend Ben Walker. "Ben, [his wife] Kylie and the kids all went and stayed in the motel provided by insurance.
"I just said I'd stay in the caravan. There was a power point there that we got hooked up, so I had one [plug] for my toaster and my radio."
The connection between the Capewell and Walker families is a strong one. Capewell's mother, after leaving her home town of Charleville in remote south-west Queensland, worked with the father of the famous footballing clan that included former first-graders Ben, Shane and Chris.
"My mother used to babysit them as kids and we've been family friends ever since," Capewell said.
The favour has been returned. The Sharks back-rower stayed with either Ben or Shane during his two stints with the Ipswich Jets. "They really took care of me coming through," he said.
"It's like a circle. They've got a couple of young fellas coming through and it would be a pleasure for me to look after them one day."
Capewell comes from a pretty handy footballing family himself. His cousin, Luke Capewell, has notched 40 NRL games during stints at the Broncos, Rabbitohs and Titans. His older brother, Liam, has enjoyed a distinguished career in the Queensland Cup and his two other siblings are also handy with the pigskin. The backyard games were spirited.
"We had our own patch of grass, we'd put up our own goalposts and on a Friday night or Saturday morning we'd play football until one of us would bust the tears and she'd be all over," Capewell said.
The stakes are much higher now. The 23-year-old is expected to retain his place in a Cronulla team that will take on North Queensland for the right to progress to a grand final. While only the diehard Cronulla fans know much about Capewell, he is no mystery to Cowboys coach Paul Green. The premiership-winning mentor coached Capewell during their time at the Broncos and then again when they were reunited at the Roosters, where Green went on to become an assistant to Trent Robinson.
Having spent almost the entire season playing for Cronulla's feeder team, Newtown, Capewell has chosen a good time to impress coach Shane Flanagan.
"To even be on the same park as Johnathan Thurston, it's crazy to think about," the part-time carpenter said.
"He's someone I've watched my whole life growing up and he still dominates the game even to this day.
"To think I could be marking up against him is quite surreal.
"It's my sixth year of trying to crack it. It's one of those things, if you keep chipping away and training hard, eventually you'll get a shot somewhere."
