PENRITH debutant Ben McFadgean may have big shoes to fill tonight, but he spent the week more concerned about finding a pair to call his own. In an incredible rags-to-riches tale, McFadgean has graduated to first grade on borrowed footy boots because he couldn't afford new ones, let alone a meal more nutritious than a tin of tuna.
Having spent the majority of this year playing for next to nothing, McFadgean has relied on good mate and Panthers fullback Jarrod Sammut to carry him to an NRL start against South Sydney at ANZ Stadium.
"I've been playing in a pair of boots Jarrod Sammut lent me," the 23-year-old winger revealed.
"I couldn't afford new ones. I had to go to Jarrod's place and borrow his. The funny thing is that although he's a small fellow, they are still too big."
On the eve of his biggest-ever game, McFadgean yesterday visited the X-Blades warehouse to collect a brand new pair for himself.
They came as a bonus for earning his spot in first grade - a chance the once-troubled local junior feared he had squandered while banished to park football 12 months ago.
McFadgean grew up in Lethbridge Park, a Housing Commission suburb near Mt Druitt he calls "The Bronx".
Its vices got the better of him and cruelled a promising junior rep career at Penrith, where he starred alongside NSW Origin half Peter Wallace.
Last year McFadgean was given a second chance at Gold Coast's feeder side Ipswich Jets - and that almost ended in tragedy.
"I was going pretty well and (Titans coach) John Cartwright reckoned I was close to playing first grade," he said.
"Then I got injured and went out on the drink to drown my sorrows.
"I stupidly decided to drive home and the cops were on my tail. I was so dumb that I tried to outrun them and crashed my mate's car. That was the low point, that's when I realised I had to change."
With all his credits exhausted, McFadgean returned home midway through last year and accepted a breadline deal with Penrith to keep his NRL dream alive.
"I signed on for $5000 a season, but because I didn't have a manager to take me through the contract I didn't realise there were no match payments," he said.
"I was basically living on $414 a month after tax. I would have been better off on the dole. I did think about going to Centrelink but I had too much pride. I got a job labouring with a mate's dad but the work was pretty infrequent with full-time training over summer.
"It was tough. I had to crash with my brothers. Luckily one of them is a twin so I could wear his clothes. I couldn't go out - you need money to buy a counter lunch or a beer. I ate tins of tuna and hot chips because they were so cheap. It felt like I lost touch with my mates because I couldn't afford to socialise."
Making matters worse was the fact NSW Cup feeder team Windsor Wolves didn't pay for losses - and the team won just twice in the opening 12 weeks. But McFadgean is now the third Wolves player to climb into Penrith's team, joining fellow rookie flanker Junior Tia Kilifi and reborn halfback Luke Walsh.
"I signed a new contract last week," he added. "It's not much but I get $500 a week now and $2000 for playing first grade.
"That means so much to me because I can pay back all the people who helped me through.
"And I also got to buy a pub lunch - a steak. It tasted pretty good."
