The Cowboys finally got their man, but not before the Storm had another dip. Martin had fallen out of favour at the Panthers and the southerners were after a replacement for the departing Cooper Cronk. However, the chance to learn from Johnathan Thurston resulted in him heading to Townsville instead of being on the other side in Sunday's grand final. "It was just the thought of Johnathan Thurston being here. I'm still in the early stages of my career and who better to learn off than the best player in the world," Martin said. "That's what it came down to." The plan was to learn from Thurston. Within a week of his arrival, he was replacing him.

"I was just going to come up here, learn off JT and play Q Cup," he said. "I was playing reserve grade anyway, so it was going to be playing reserve grade but learning off the best player in the world every week at training. I was just trying to be a sponge. It's unfortunate he got injured and that opened up a window for myself. "The week I came up Greenie (Cowboys coach Paul Green) sat me down and said 'we won't play you this week, we'll let you go through the game plan and we'll play you next week.' "That's how it worked out." The move was a timely one. Thurston's season-ending injury occurred within a week of Martin's arrival. He has subsequently played a dozen games for the Cowboys en route to the unlikeliest of grand final appearances.

"It's crazy to think I was playing reserve grade not so long ago," he said. "I got an opportunity to come back here and I haven't looked back. It's been the best time of my life." Replacing arguably the greatest player the game has seen is no small feat. But even Thurston has been impressed with how seamlessly the 21 year old has fitted into the side. "He's been great since he arrived at our club," Thurston said. "He's not overplaying his hand, he's been doing his job and that's what we expect of anyone who pulls on the Cowboys jersey."

The Junior Kiwis star showed a glimpse of his potential when he scored the opening try against the Roosters on Saturday night. Showing all the class of the man he replaced, Martin dummied, sliced through the gap and stepped the fullback to put his team in front. "It all went really fast, I can't really explain how it went.," he said. "I blinked and was at the tryline. I think the defence was worried about the boys I had outside me, I had some x-factor out there with Coops (Gavin Cooper) and Justin O'Neill and Antonio Winterstein they were worried about. "That left me a gaping hole I had to take." Before he had even played a first-grade game, Martin was offered a train-on spot with the Kiwis on a tour to England. He may well get a chance to cap a grand final appearance with New Zealand selection after Kieran Foran pulled out of the World Cup.

Loading "If it happens I'd be stoked, but I'm more worried about the Cowboys jersey at the moment," he said. "I'll focus on the Cowboys and if I do a good enough job that help out my chances of getting there."