Less than a week out from his 23rd birthday, life has started to come together nicely for Jake Tighe.
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In recent years, the Moree product moved back to his hometown from Brisbane (where he boarded at the St Joseph's Nudgee College), finished his carpentry apprenticeship and started his own business, and become a key figure in the Moree Boars' first grade side.
And what "topped off" this great period for Tighe was being named in the Group 4 first grade side for the recently-revived Tri Series.
"I didn't get the call-up straight away, but [coach Peter Stevens] rang me and said 'I've seen you play and I have you in the side'," he said.
"That was a bit of motivation to keep training hard and doing what I'm doing."
Tighe returned from Queensland to the North West shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was then that he signed up with the Boars, and following a couple of years in reserve grade, he earned a long-awaited call-up to first grade last season.
"[Moree captain-coach Mick Watton] came to me in preseason last year and said 'I think you're worth a starting spot in first grade'," Tighe said.
"I took it with both hands, that was a big thing for me."
Fresh from a premiership with reserve grade, Tighe had spent most of his career at fullback up to that point.
But with his second cousin, Adrian Smith, established as one of the best number ones in the competition by that point, he moved to the wing.
"It is different, I don't have that running flexibility," Tighe said.
"But it's good, I score plenty of tries and I love doing something a little different."
Initially, Tighe and his partner had planned on moving to Evans Head this year, where his mother and several close mates live.
However, their plans changed and given the success and enjoyment that Tighe has found with the Boars, they are content to stay in Moree for some time yet.
"We made the grand final in 2023, and making the rep side this year, it all seems to be going in the right direction," he said.
"I'll definitely hang around for a while. Hopefully win a comp and then the plan is to move in the future."
With another undefeated start to the season, in which Moree now sit on top of the ladder after six rounds, Tighe might get to cross his goal of winning a premiership off sooner rather than later.
But while he knows his future ultimately lies elsewhere, he is in no rush to leave his hometown behind.
"I love the country life," he said.
