At that stage, Holland says the Knights had made him an offer in August but “it was pretty low key”, so signing a two-year deal with the New Zealand Warriors, and “having a real crack at the NRL”, was an exciting prospect.

However, his manager convinced him to hold off until the end of the season and reassess the situation then.

This advice proved to be a game changer for the talented 23-year-old utility as after a grand final win in September, which happened to be the curtain-raiser for the history-making all Queensland Broncos versus Cowboys game, and being named in the NSW Cup Team of the Year, Holland was suddenly in demand.

The phone started ringing and on the other end of the line were the likes of foundation club South Sydney Rabbitohs, and the consistent Canterbury Bulldogs.

They were all scrambling to sign “one of the best young centre prospects in rugby league” - in 16 games he had crossed the tryline on 18 occasions.

The next thing he knew he was having coffee with Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire at Redfern, had a look around the iconic oval and met with some of the coaching staff.

Two days later Holland did it all again but after meeting the legendary Des Hasler, and touring the impressive facilities at Belmore Oval, his mind was made up.

Holland says the current Canterbury mentor was pretty keen to get him there, and work with him.

“This is the main reason I went with them; I guess it is the way he presents himself, the success he has had as a coach and how he gets the best out of his players,” he explains.

“The line that he doesn’t recruit reserve grade players stuck in my mind.

“Des told me everyone he recruits is for first grade and he will give me the tools I need but in the end it all comes down to the individual.

“We did go back to Newcastle to see if they could match the offer.

“Growing up in Singleton, I would have loved to play in the NRL for the Knights but it’s the nature of the beast and it does not always work like that.”

And, hard work is something the former Singleton Greyhound junior, and first grader, is accustomed to.

As getting to this point in his career, that is, becoming a full-time footballer on the verge of realising a childhood dream has not exactly been a straight forward process.

Although he has always had a burning desire to play in the NRL and the talent, Holland says growing up there were one or two things that did not go his way.

“When I was 16 years old I got my first opportunity, I was training with the Knights SG ball squad down in Newcastle three nights a week,” he explains.

“But I had started my first year as an electrical apprentice, was living in Singleton, and I did not have my licence, so it was hard to get to training relying on someone else all the time.”

So he made the sensible decision to concentrate on finishing his apprenticeship, and just to play footy locally.

However, when he finished his trade things changed.

“It probably sounds strange but I just had this sudden realisation at the age of 20 that I could get more out of myself,” he explains.

“And that’s what I set out to do when I decided to play for Cessnock in the Newcastle competition.

“Lots of people said I could not play a game of A grade for Cessnock, they didn’t think I was up to it.

“But I have made a few steps since then so hopefully I can go all the way and play NRL – and make a long career out of it.”

These steps involved not only winning a premiership with the Cessnock Goannas, a team his detractors said he would never make,  it also saw the unstoppable Holland successfully transition from halfback to fullback.

At the end of the 2014 season, he received a call from the new coach of the Newcastle Knights NSW Cup team, Matt Lantry, and he has not looked back.

Holland has now been training with the Bulldogs squad full-time for five weeks and finds it physically and mentally challenging every day.

He says it is a lot different from being an electrician and “living pretty” in Newcastle with his brother, close to family and friends.

“Coming from working five days a week and how hard it is to fit in training, I appreciate the opportunity to solely focus on training as I know what life after football has install and I don’t want to go back to that,” Holland says.

“My goal moving forward is to play in the NRL in 2016 and if I do get the opportunity I need to take it with both hands.

“I need to be ready for it, so I am going to work hard on that and hopefully it comes my way.”

Holland says he will play anywhere but suspects if given the chance to line up for the “Blue and White” it will be in the outside backs.

The level-headed young man knows he still has a long way to go but “I am one step closer than I was this time last year,” he proclaims.

“My family are all extremely proud of me, mum, dad and my brother, John, are all really supportive.”

He says growing up there were always footballs at the Holland household and his parents have not bombarded him with advice.

They have simply told him to remember where he comes from.

“The one thing that they both said to me is remember where you come from and remember all the hard work.”

“Don’t get caught up in the hype or anything because it can end as soon as it starts. 

“If I can remember that, those words, then you won’t get ahead of yourself.”

And Holland’s advice to other young players is to “never give up, even if someone tells you, you can’t do it”.

“Your hardest opposition will be the man that stares back at you in the mirror,” he explains.

“I know this has been said a few times before but if you get that in your head you will go a long way.”