Growing up on Headingley's terraces watching Leeds Rhinos' greatest, Golden Generation, James Bentley one day dreamed of following in the footsteps of his idols.
On Saturday, he will get to fulfil that dream. It will be the culmination of, let's face it, a barmy twelve months for the hometown lad. That started before he even joined the club. The 24-year-old missed last year's Grand Final after breaking his leg, a devastating blow as he was cruelly stripped of a perfect farewell at St Helens.
The start of his Leeds career, something he had dreamed of his whole life, proved to be a disaster. He was sent off 16 minutes into his debut and banned three times in his first eight games for the club. He ended up being suspended for nine of the club's first 17 games this season.
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While his former club were riding high at the top of Super League, Bentley's new club was languishing at the bottom. He was the subject of social media heckling for making what many believed to be a bad career move. They may be eating their words come Saturday.
"It is literally a boyhood dream come true," he said. "And for the way this year has gone, it couldn't have ended any better for me.
"I'm just taking the week in and enjoying it, every moment. Coming up against Saints was probably the icing on the top. I was watching the game and you always want to play your old team. If someone would have asked me who I'd want to play in the Grand Final at the end of the year, I would have said Saints straight away. I'm buzzing and can't wait for it.
"It's been a proper rollercoaster. Making my debut for my hometown club and it ending after like 15 minutes, it couldn't have gone any worse. I got banned a few other times but I've learned my lesson now. To be at a Grand Final after where we were 10 weeks ago, it's been a mad ride.
"I obviously questioned myself at points but I knew I had to trust myself and keep working hard. There wouldn't be much better way to end the year. I want to go out there and win it. I'll be doing everything I can to do that."
His disciplinary woe has now been curbed, with Bentley avoiding the wrath of the Match Review Panel for several months while keeping his competitive spirit.
"It was more just staying in control," he said. "Rohan (Smith) said to me that competitiveness is what makes me the player I am. It's just staying at the right side of it and not boiling over.
"It's hard to say what I've done; it's just about taking moments in the game when I can to get my head back and not get carried away too much.
"I realised that if I want to play, I can't play like that. I can still be competitive and aggressive in the way I play but I just need to be on the right side of the line. It was more difficult because I felt like I couldn't do much because I wasn't playing. I was training and trying to do my best at training but that's not helping and then you get frustrated. I'd come back and get banned again so it's a constant cycle.
"When Rohan came in I told him I was trying my hardest but he said I was trying too hard and doing too much. He stripped my game back and told me I needed to give a constant seven or eight out of 10 rather than overplaying and trying to do too much. That's worked for me. My form has built and built towards the end of this year."
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