Harry Johnson-Holmes will be the Waratahs’ biggest local drawcard in Newcastle on Friday night but the loosehead prop says he feels like an “imposter” returning to his former club, Wanderers
Johnson-Holmes has been enlisted to present the first grade jerseys at his former club, Wanderers in Newcastle and though he might be returning as a full-time professional, playing first grade for Wanderers was something Johnson-Holmes never had the chance to do.
"It'll be a bit weird because I'm doing it for 1st grade and I've actually never played first grade for the club,” he joked.
“I played a lot of second grade while I was still here but never quite cracked first grade, so I’m going to feel like a bit of an imposter."
The lead-up to the Friday night match against the Sunwolves will be familiar territory for Johnson-Holmes, who is planning to head to his mum’s place around the corner for steak and sweet potato before the game.
Even the trip to McDonald Jones Stadium will feel familiar, though he’ll be heading down the tunnel instead of parking up on the hill this time.
It was on the stadium’s hills that Johnson-Holmes watched the Wallabies play Scotland back in 2012 and also the British and Irish Lions play NSW Country in 2013.
As he “weathered the storm” in that Scotland Test as a teenager, Johnson-Holmes never really thought he’d be on the other side of the fence playing Super Rugby.
“It was really cool to finally see a bit of rugby here,” he said of those two matches.
“It's great to come here and watch great sporting spectacles like the Knights and Newcastle Jets but to actually have rugby here was that glimmer of hope that maybe one day Newcastle would be a bit of a fortress for Hunter rugby.
"I was just starting to break into the NSW Country scene, getting some rep stuff with the Cockatoos there for the U15s,” he said.
“It was probably the first time that I'd started thinking that I was tracking along well. Obviously 15 was a long way out from where I am now but I was really enjoying the opportunities that rugby was presenting back then.
“Being able to travel and meet people from all over the state at the time, with NSW Country.”
For Johnson-Holmes, watching sport at Newcastle Stadium was a childhood staple and he was not alone - NRL’s Newcastle Knights averaged 19,000 people a game in 2018 well above the 15,290 competition average.
"For young kids in Newcastle it's a thing to do, it's a social outing,” Johnson-Holmes said.
“People flock here for the atmosphere. The Knights have shown throughout the years that through ebbs and flows in form they've always got a supportive following and they'll always pack out the stadium, regardless of how last week was.
"I spent a lot of time here with my mates on the hill, playing touch footy before the games and at half time.
“It's cool to get back and in a different perspective here."
And while he might feel like a bit of a fraud, Johnson-Holmes has surely proven himself worthy with performances this year that have surpassed any external expectations.
"We've come under a bit of scrutiny at the start of the season but we've been able to build back a bit of respect and we just need to build on that and make sure we're consistently demanding that respect that we rightfully deserve."
The Waratahs take on the Sunwolves on Friday night, kicking off at 7:45pm AEDT, LIVE on FOX SPORTS and via RUGBY.com.au RADIO.
