Canterbury debutant Daniel Rauicava's biggest relief was getting a day off work to train with the Bulldogs ahead of Saturday's NRL clash with Canberra.

Having already kicked the party life, the late blooming 24-year-old needed to front the boss at his day job as a renderer to make sure he could train for his first game on the big stage.

"I told my boss for today and he said, `What about next Monday?'," said Rauicava, whose father was Fijian.

"I said, `I don't know, I've got to see how I go on Saturday night'.

"My boss is pretty lenient, he's like my mentor, he's real good bloke so he looks after me."

But the centre has also learned to look after himself after giving up partying to get serious about footy, first through Cronulla's lower grade sides and now with the Bulldogs.

"I had a couple of pre-seasons but I was more into the party life and the girls," he said.

"I didn't like my old life, I was going out and partying too much and didn't have a licence, had nothing going for me, so I just thought big change-around and now I'm here.

"I stopped drinking and I went on a big fitness thing for about nine months.

"It was all worth the sacrifices."

After two years with his local side the Sharks, he was forced to move on.

"They weren't going to have a NSW Cup side down at Cronulla so I had to get a manager, I didn't have a manager at that stage," he said.

"I ended up at the Bulldogs.

"My dream was to make it with the Sharks but unfortunately that didn't work out.

"I was heartbroken when I had to come here but it's like an ex-girlfriend, you get over it and you move on.

"It's been a long season ... fortunately it's paid off now, all the driving from Cronulla every day and working.

"Now I'm that close to running out for my dream."

Rauicava is hoping to emulate South Sydney's Dylan Farrell, who scored three tries in his first game last Saturday.

"That stuff you dream of," he said.

"I've got a little daydream in my head about scoring tries but I just try to block it out.

"I just want to get out there and play what's in front of me and see how I go.

"To me, running out there, that's three tries in itself."

A contract for 2011 would also allow him to give up the day job.

"Hopefully I can give that the brush for a bit," he said.

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