NRL: Second time a charm so far for John

Isaac John says he has developed a more professional attitude since his last run at first-grade level. Photo / Greg Bowker

It's fair to say Isaac John's second audition for a first-grade halfback job has gone better than his first.

Last season he had a three-game stint at five-eighth, outside Stacey Jones, as coach Ivan Cleary assessed his options for 2010. It's not like John did anything wrong. He just didn't really do much of anything. Anonymous would fairly describe his efforts.

With Shaun Johnson widely tipped as a potential next-big-thing halfback, John's selection against the table-topping Dragons in round 13 as a replacement for the oft-injured Brett Seymour was a bit of an eyebrow-raiser. So was his performance.

He laid on a try with a neat kick and backed up a Lance Hohaia break to score one himself. His all-round play was at the very least extremely solid, at best entirely proficient.

In a nutshell, he looked the goods - an impression underscored when he produced another good display against the Knights. Not bad for a player who by his own admission was just making up the numbers last season.

"Last year was a bit more intimidating because I was playing outside someone I idolised in Stacey Jones," he said. "Stacey had been around forever so you don't want to override what he says, you just follow what he is doing. I was just there to make up numbers last year.

"This year I have been more able to play my sort of game."

Such is the way of these things that a broken foot suffered in a trial match against the Roosters pre-season actually helped John lift his game.

"During that 14 weeks out I worked with Ruben [Wiki] almost every day and he definitely got my confidence up. And I am a lot stronger physically, which has definitely helped me.

"I think I've grown up a lot off the field. I've become more professional in the way I've approached the game."

John's development has been such that after just one match back in first grade Cleary switched him to halfback and gave him the bulk of the play-calling responsibilities.

That paid dividends against the Knights, with James Maloney freed up to provide a greater attacking threat.

Despite his obvious development John knows he is playing on borrowed time. When Seymour is fit again it won't matter how well he has played, although he does now at least shape as a solid back-up option.

"It is an external factor, something I can't control. What I can control is what I do on the field and I've got another opportunity [tomorrow].

"I am going to take that and just do what I can."