But a trip to the Bomana War Cemetery in Papua New Guinea almost reduced to the quietly-spoken Port City Breakers fullback to tears.

Blair was in Port Moresby with the Country Rugby League under-23 representative side last week when they visited the war memorial and Kokoda Track.

During that time, the 22-year-old became just the second family member to find his great, great uncle’s gravestone – and spend a few moments he would never forget.

“It was like a spiritual presence that drew me to it; I can’t really explain it, but it was something weird,” Blair said.

“It was within two minutes of walking through there (the war memorial); I didn’t think it was going to be that easy (to find it) because it’s so big.

“He died at the age of 27, so being the second family member to see him was pretty emotional for me.”

It was more than just about a rugby league trip with the side paying their respects to those who served in PNG.

“You had adults younger than 25 who lied about their age just to join the war to fight for Australia,” Blair said.

The Kempsey product admitted the trip was an “eye-opener” and one that made him more grateful for what he had on the Mid North Coast.

“It was good to get to know the PNG side and the struggles that they put up with daily,” he said.

“It’s like a third-world country so it makes you grateful for what you have back home and seeing (how) the PNG people suffer was a real eye-opener.”

Blair also caught the eye of many keen rugby league fans when he swooped on an intercept and raced 90 metres to score Country’s first try in their 18-12 loss to the PNG Residents.

It came as little surprise he was swamped by fans for photos after the game, prompting a CRL spokesman to label him the “people’s champ.”

“They loved me a bit; it was something different… I’ve never experienced anything like that before,” Blair said.

“Footy is a national sport over there and can be the only way they make something out of themselves because it’s hard for them to leave the country.

“It was unforgettable.”

He also overcame his fear of flying in the three-hour trip from Brisbane to Port Moresby – without a window seat.

“I was a bit scared, but ended up coming around so it was good,” he said.

“I wanted a window seat but popped my head around the corner every now and then.”

Ipswich Jets have also shown an interest in signing Blair to their Queensland Cup side for 2019, but Blair wasn’t getting ahead of himself.

“I’m not going to get my hopes up, but I wouldn’t mind going to that next step, it’s just a matter of luck and working hard,” he said.

While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Macleay Argus News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, here.