As the play unfolds, the crowd begins to buzz with anticipation, seeing what’s unravelling before the defence. The Toronto Wolfpack are charging, and as they begin passing the ball toward the left side of the field, an imposing figure rumbles into view. Standing at 6-foot and 205-pounds, Liam Kay is difficult enough to take down in any situation. It’s the burst along the left edge that makes him an immediate threat when the cut-out pass comes. The defence is caught flat-footed. A dive leaves even Kay’s flowing blond hair out of reach, and the winger reaches across the try line for yet another score.

It’s an exciting moment, and one the Lamport Stadium faithful have quickly gotten used to. Kay’s rugged, wild style of play has ingratiated him quickly to the Wolfpack fanbase. Last year, in the team’s inaugural season, he led the team in tries — helping earn them a promotion from League 1 to second-division Championship in just one season. Those flowing locks haven’t hurt either — with his steely blue eyes, a bright smile, and thick stubble framing his face, Kay’s has become the unofficial face of the team and their most recognizable player.

The combination has earned him the nickname “Sex on Legs” from the fan podcast Wolfin’ Around last season, with the hosts noting Kay’s “Game of Thrones-esque look.”

The moniker has stuck a little bit, much to Kay’s chagrin. Teammates also needle him with the name “David Seamen,” a nod to the retired English soccer goalkeeper who kept trademark long hair (and a tremendous moustache) for most of his playing career. To most, though, it’s “Kay’s Ways,” a nickname Kay has carried since he and a friend with a rhyming surname would wind each other up arguing things should go their respective way.

Photo: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

And it’s Kay’s way that the Wolfpack have been following almost since the minute they were created. In the summer of 2016, head coach Paul Rowley made Kay the franchise’s first signing. He was coming off three successful seasons with Leigh that saw him average nearly a try per-appearance. They landed Kay in his prime — he’s now 26 — and he lent immediate legitimacy to the Rugby League’s first transatlantic experiment.

“Well, Liam’s the first player that I signed for Toronto Wolfpack, and I did that for a reason,” said head coach Paul Rowley. “You’re all seeing the reason right now. Liam has other qualities than scoring. He takes pride in his performance, I’ll say. He’s not just a pretty boy finisher as a winger, you know, he’s very conscientious. He likes to play at a high standard and perform at a high standard and train at a high standard. You can’t be a mug six days and a champion on the seventh, and Liam’s certainly not that.”

“It’s exciting to have someone of that caliber to put their hand up first to say, ‘I’m gonna come to a new venture like this,’ that makes everyone else eager to get here,” said Josh McCrone, the team’s new captain and marquee addition this year. “I’m lucky enough to play on the same edge as him. He finishes everything we start, which is good to have. He’s building on his game. His game’s evolving, and it’s evolving for the team.”

Kay also happens to fit the brand the Wolfpack want to build. Trying to develop the sport of a rugby in a market that’s relatively new to it is difficult, and the Wolfpack have prioritized personality nearly as much as performance. The mix of personality, dominance in their first season, and a tremendous game day experience have all combined to make the Wolfpack a quick success on and off the field, and their sights are set even higher in just their second season.

“What we’ve tried to look for with Toronto is exciting people. Not just exciting players but exciting personalities and characters and colourful people so that the fans can buy into what we’re trying to achieve,” said general manager Brian Noble.

“It did build quite quickly, and I think that’s down to winning as a team,” Kay said. “We’re a successful team in Toronto. That’s not me saying others aren’t, but I think the hockey season finishes as we start, so people want to get the contact sport fix, and what better way to do it than watching an actual Toronto team win while doing that?”

That Rowley employs an exciting brand of attack helps, too, and Kay has masterfully established himself as one of the league’s most dangerous try scorers, exciting finishers, and all-around best wingers. That combination of on-field performance and seamless marketability have made Kay a paramount element in the Wolfpack developing a quick hold in the Toronto summer entertainment landscape.

“Well, he always delivers. His level of consistency and his performance has been outstanding. He was the first name on a piece of paper as you’re quite aware, and in many respects he’s carried the franchise,” Noble said. “He’s attractive to all sorts of communities, and he plays good rugby. So clearly he’s been sensational for us. And long may that continue. He speaks well, he’s articulate, he understands the dynamics of what we’re trying to do.”

Photo: David Woodley/Action Plus via Getty Images

His development earned him opportunity outside of the Wolfpack, too. While he’s from Leeds, he has Irish ancestry on his mother’s side, and that allowed him to suit up for Ireland in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup in Australia. Naturally, he scored three tries over three games.

“It was an experience. I mean, I played in Australia, and then I went to Papua New Guinea, which was an eye-opener for me. I really enjoyed it,” Kay said. “I met some players that I probably wouldn’t meet and made good friends there as well. It was a shame that we didn’t get put through into the group, but I think we’ve got a good, young, strong core of a team now in Ireland, and hopefully I’ll get selected this year to play.”

The more immediate task at hand is still in Toronto, where the Wolfpack return on Saturday for the first of eight consecutive home games at Lamport Stadium. They sit atop the Championship table and have themselves in a strong position to qualify for the Middle Eight, potentially earning their way to the first-division Super League ahead of schedule.

“I think when we first started out with the Wolfpack, I think it was a five-year plan to get into Super League,” Kay said. “I think if we can do that within three years, we’re hitting every goal we’ve made as a club. You know, a lot of these players want to be playing top division, a lot of these players should be playing in top division. So yeah, that is the main goal for the club.”

Kay has been instrumental through all of this, as a leading try-scorer and as a tool for attracting both a fan base and other players. He has another season left on his contract beyond this one, and he intends to eventually speak to Rowley and Noble about making sure he’s around even longer. There’s a sense of ownership over the grand transatlantic rugby experience that Kay feels at this point, and Toronto and the Wolfpack have quickly started to feel like home.

“I’m really happy here. We’ve got a group of lads, and if I can, I want to stay at Toronto as long as possible. It’s a great place to be,” he said. “I have visions of me retiring here as a player and getting something off the field within the club. Being the first signing, I kinda feel a lot of pride. I’m very proud of that. Especially if this club takes off and expands the game in North America — which was the original plan — then I feel like I’ve done my piece. It’s history as well. That will live with me forever.”

(Top photo of Liam Kay by Richard Land/Touchlinepics.com/ Toronto Wolfpack)