2023 didn’t quite pan out as planned for Randwick backrower Ben Houston but at the end of it, the 25-year old couldn’t have been happier.

In the space of a few months, Houston jumped from a stint with the West Tigers NRL squad into a struggling Randwick first grade side, then helped turn the Galloping Greens into the eventual Shute Shield premiers.

“No one has really mentioned it but we were 2 from 5 early on in the season but momentum can be so important, particularly in the Shute Shield,” Houston told Rugby News.