Manly five-eighth Josh Schuster says a public dressing down from captain Daly Cherry-Evans has helped him realise his undoubted talent will only take him so far.
Cherry-Evans last month fired a not-so-subtle broadside at his halves partner, whose NRL career has been hampered by weight issues and soft-tissue injuries.
The Manly No.7 claimed Schuster needed to knuckle down and act like a professional if he wanted a long-term NRL career as a playmaker.
Schuster has sworn off fast food and trained on his own in recent weeks in a bid to keep his body in tip-top shape.
The 21-year-old’s dedication to training is beginning to yield results and, when he and Cherry-Evans have played together this year, the Sea Eagles boast a 4-1 record.
“Chez and I have a good relationship,” Schuster said.
“He's always such a caring person and he genuinely wants the best for me as a person and as a player.
“I think that was a good reality check for myself and I took it on board now.
“I think if you don't listen to him then when he's the captain of our club, he's played for Australia and captain of Queensland then you must be joking yourself.
"So that coming from him, you've got to listen and I'm doing that now and I'm comfortable with it."
Schuster's young career is filled with so much promise that the Sea Eagles were willing to let club favourite Kieran Foran leave last year.
But the Samoan international said he couldn't replicate Foran's importance if he didn't apply himself.
"I think I realised that my talents are not going to take me all the way," Schuster said.
"I've got to put in the work with my recovery and preparation, I think if I get all that outside stuff sorted it'll translate into footy.
"After the Parramatta game (in round 3) I got too comfortable and I think I was just letting my talent try to do everything, but in this game and in this day and age you won't get too far."
Schuster said the next big test for him would be to help the Sea Eagles win without Tom Trbojevic and Cherry-Evans.
The five-eighth has a chance to do that next week against Parramatta when Trbojevic and Cherry-Evans are on State of Origin duty.
"I was disappointed two weeks ago against Newcastle, I should've taken control of that," Schuster added.
"I've learned from that, and I've got to take control more."
