Corey Allan looked around the room and saw the likes of NRL superstars Daly Cherry-Evans, David Klemmer, Jake Trbojevic and Tyson Frizell.
"I was just looking at all the players around me, I was thinking in my head 'f***, what am I doing here'," Allan said.
It was September last year and the little-known fullback had just arrived at the Pullman Hotel at Sydney Airport where he was checking in for a physical after being hand-picked by Mal Meninga to be part of the Prime Ministers' XIII.
The side is widely considered a stepping stone into the Australian Test team but Allan was picked despite having not made his NRL debut.
The idea of getting a nod was so far from his radar that he was camping with mates in central Queensland when he received the phone call telling him he was in.
He had to drive five hours back to Brisbane to meet up with the rest of the team in Sydney the next day.
"I didn't know what to say," Allan told AAP.
"All these people I've watched play and big names and no one knows who I am. It was nerve-racking.
"Straight away Mal says 'Corey, how ya going?' And then all the other players came and introduced themselves."
Being shoved out of his comfort zone has been a recurring theme in Allan's life of late.
After an excellent 2018, which saw him selected in the Australian under-20s side, the powerfully-built fullback made the decision to leave Brisbane and his hometown to move to South Sydney on a three-year deal.
Despite having the likes of Greg Inglis and Alex Johnston ahead of him in the pecking order for the Rabbitohs No.1 jumper, he decided to take the leap.
The 20-year-old is now in the running for a first-grade spot this year and will start Saturday's first trial on the wing.
Despite working over the last several years to establish himself as a fullback, he said he was willing to learn a new position if it meant earning an NRL debut and a regular starting role.
"Regardless of where you are, there's going to be someone in front of you," Allan said.
"I've got Greg if he wants to play fullback. I've got AJ who can play fullback. I've got players in front of me here, just like I had Darbs (Darius Boyd) and Jamayne (Isaako) back in Brisbane.
"I needed to get out of my comfort zone - that was the main thing. I felt like I was getting too comfortable in Brissy and just going through the motions."
Australian Associated Press
