THERE was Luke Walsh at the Dally M awards at Sydney's State Theatre on Tuesday night, standing in the aisle after most of the guests had headed for the exits, glancing around the room while being interviewed for this story.
The slightly built Penrith halfback and Newcastle junior noticed two of his former Knights coaches, Brian Smith and Rick Stone, deep in friendly conversation after Smith had been named Dally M coach of the year two hours earlier.
Stone, Smith's assistant at the Knights since 2007 after occupying the same role with Michael Hagan in 2006, succeeded Smith as Newcastle's head coach in August last year after Smith signed a four-year deal with the Roosters.
Smith was the man who granted Walsh a release from the Knights at the start of 2008.
Competing with mates Jarrod Mullen and Scott Dureau for the halves positions, Walsh was unable to secure a regular gig and Matt Elliott offered him an opportunity at Penrith.
Elliott played in Smith's St George teams in the early 1990s, joined the Dragons' coaching staff to work alongside Smith, then succeeded him at English club Bradford.
Walsh did not begrudge Smith the award but was surprised Elliott, who has transformed the Panthers into title contenders this year, was not even nominated. The other candidates were Ivan Cleary (Warriors), Wayne Bennett (Dragons) and John Cartwright (Titans).
After the Panthers ran last in 2007, Elliott narrowly avoided being sacked at the end of 2008, when they ran 12th.
They improved marginally to 11th last year, but Elliott has steered them to second place this season. And if they beat the Raiders at CUA Stadium on Saturday night they will be one win away from a grand final appearance.
Smith has worked a similar miracle at the Roosters, the club who Walsh made his NRL debut against in Newcastle's 22-18 victory at Gosford midway through 2007.
That was when Smith, still reeling and dealing with the retirement of Andrew Johns two months earlier, famously questioned NSW selectors about picking Mullen to play State of Origin.
Never mind being the number-one No.7 in NSW, he might not have even been the best halfback in Newcastle, Smith said of Mullen, referring to Walsh.
Through a series of unfortunate events, including a serious left-ankle injury that required surgery at the end of 2007 and a virus that flattened him in the build-up to 2008, Walsh fell behind Mullen, Dureau and Ben Rogers in Newcastle's scrum-base pecking order.
Dureau is off to France to continue his career with Super League club Catalans.
The Knights, who since letting Walsh go have shuffled Dureau, Mullen, Rogers and Kurt Gidley around trying to settle on a successful halves combination, have signed Dragons under-20s playmaker Beau Henry, hoping the 2009 National Youth Cup player of the year is their halfback of the future.
All very interesting, but Walsh was not interested in living in the past.
So back to the State Theatre on Tuesday, and there was Walsh, one of four nominees for Dally M halfback of the year, being asked to reflect on his rise from third- or fourth-choice at Newcastle at the start of last year to being one of the top four in the NRL this year.
"I feel very settled at Penrith, and I had a good pre-season with the boys which really helps," said Walsh, whose 29 try assists led the NRL.
"Everything has clicked for us since our first trial this year so it's been a very enjoyable year.
"Personally, I've enjoyed my footy a lot more and I've played pretty consistent for the year.
"As a team, I knew we had the players to do well this year.
"I thought we'd finish first but it wasn't to be, we came second, but we're still in the semis and looking forward to it on Saturday night.
"I know the boys can't wait to get out there."
The 23-year-old general is preparing for his first taste of NRL finals.
In fact it is his first play-offs of any kind since playing alongside Dureau, Dally M winger of the year Aku Uate, Cory Paterson and Kade Snowden in Newcastle's Jersey Flegg (under 20s) grand final team in 2006.
The Knights were beaten 22-20 at ANZ Stadium by a Penrith side including Walsh's current Panthers teammates Michael Jennings and Tim Grant.
Walsh is no certainty to play on Saturday, having run yesterday for the first time since stirring up his left ankle problem early in the second half of Penrith's victory over the Bulldogs on August 30.
As a kid living in Newcastle and playing for the Western Suburbs Rosellas, Walsh was swept up in the same finals fever that afflicted most Novocastrians when the Knights won the 1997 and 2001 grand finals.
"They've come out of the woodwork buying tickets," he said.
"There's great support there at Penrith, a bit like Newy, so hopefully we can keep it going.
"But the comp is so close, and we're not looking past the Raiders this weekend."
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