It was a rollercoaster year for Connor Watson where injuries clouded what was going to be his first complete season in the NRL.
The 22-year-old missed four games with a shoulder injury early in the year and was in and out of the team to finish the season due to a reoccurring groin issue where he missed six games.
However, Watson's season started positively when he was selected in Brad Fitler's New South Wales Emerging Blues Squad.
Although the five-eighth only managed 15 games, he scored tries at a great rate, crossing the line seven times.
The first couple of days have been really special
Looking to 2019, talk indicates he could be in for a position swap for Kalyn Ponga but in the one game Watson played fullback last season, he impressed, crossing for two tries against the Bulldogs in Round 16.
Watson finished the year on the sidelines and required surgery on his troublesome groin over the off-season but will be fit and firing for the 2019 season.
2018 Moment of the Year: Round 10 v Panthers
It was a Round that meant a lot to Connor Watson.
Round 10, Indigenous Round.
With Indigenous heritage in his blood, the NRL's Indigenous Round against Penrith was a game Watson had circled on his calendar from the start of the year.
Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga had the ball down the left edge.
Was it the butter chicken? What got Glasby across the line
Ponga had the option of Watson sweeping out the back of the play but opted to pop a short ball to a hard-running Mitchell Barnett who broke the line.
Barnett was shut down but was able to get an offload away.
Watson was backing up the ball runner and ran onto the offload, stepping back inside and scoring a great try on his special night.
It was a game that the Knights lost, but it was a moment that Watson will never forget.
2018 season stats:
Games: 15
Tries: 7
Try/LB assists: 4/5
Avg running metres: 106.2m
Tackles made: 254 (83.4% efficiency)
Offloads: 8
Tackle breaks: 52
