Alofiana Khan-Pereira: 'To debut would mean everything'
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Burleigh Bears try-scoring machine Alofiana Khan-Pereira is on a mission to excel further in 2023, starting with pre-season training at Gold Coast Titans.
Khan-Pereira was one of five Bears players named in the Hostplus Cup Team of the Year after a stellar 2022 season which saw him score 25 tries in 19 games.
The 21-year-old, part of the Titans system since 16, said earning winger of the year was the highlight for him.
"It was a big achievement and my first big achievement in Cup," Khan-Pereira - whose parents, two sisters and brother cheer him on every week - said.
"It was awesome seeing most players come from Burleigh. It was an awesome achievement. They all deserved it.
"I think the start of the year we were just flying, killing it and we never really second guessed ourselves... and then as the year went on, at the end, everything got a little bit tougher with injuries and that."
Eager to improve, learning from players including Greg Marzhew, Khan-Pereira said his goal was "to crack the NRL spot on the wing" for the Titans.
"I'm going to try and push myself for my debut," he said, adding he wanted to work on his speed and defence during this pre-season.
"I'm always trying to learn something new every day.... every little detail (of my game), I can try and fix.
"Footy is a big part of my life. To debut would mean everything. I've built my whole life around it and it would be such a good achievement for myself and my family."
