Matt started at prop in the 30-26 triumph. Charlie has watched the clash "about 10 times"; he uses it as fuel to power his own NRL ambitions.

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"It's unreal," he said of watching the grand final. "It makes me want to get there [the NRL]."

At Rugby League Park in Armidale on Saturday, the 17-year-old, year 12 Quirindi High student took a big stride towards that goal when he made his Greater Northern Tigers debut in the under-18 side's 36-20 round three defeat of the Northern Rivers Titan.

A mountain of a specimen like his father (he his about 195cm and 110kg), Charlie was used off the bench in the front-row (he missed the first two games through injury).

He produced a number of rumbling hit-ups, and was pleased with his performance.

The Tigers have won two of their three matches and play the Newcastle Maitland Region Knights in Cessnock on Saturday, in the penultimate round of the Laurie Daley Cup (the updated ladder was not available when this story was published).

Charlie played for Dungowan's under-16 side in 2019. He hopes to play under-18s for Werris Creek this year.

At age 13, his rugby league development was hindered when he suffered a compound leg fracture in a motorbike crash and was sidelined for two seasons.

Two years later and has positioned himself on an ideal stage to get noticed by NRL clubs.

He is aware that being Matt Parsons' son means some people have high expectations of him. But he is determined to "play my own footy".

"He sort of tells me that it's my own thing," Charlie said of his father. "If I want to make it there [the NRL], then I have to try my best."