The 23-year-old Queenslander has been living with Adamstown-based Michael Reid, who played six NRL games between Canterbury and the Knights in the late 1980s before enjoying a long period on the Newcastle club's training staff as a strength and conditioning coach.

Cessnock rookie Reid reckons being with "Mick" during his interstate move in 2019 had been beneficial both on and off the rugby league field.

"One hundred percent," young Reid said.

"Living with him [Mick] down here has been great and keeps me in line. And training with him in the gym, he's still an animal."

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Having grown up at Coolum Beach, first-year apprentice carpenter Reid has enjoyed the relative proximity to the coast and maintaining a "surf" lifestyle when away from the sport.

But further inland at Cessnock Sportsground, he has slowly found his feet wearing the black and gold uniform at his new club.

The former Noosa Pirates player, who "grew up around footy", has been more accustomed to featuring at fullback or in the halves throughout his career.

However, after spending the first half of the season predominately in reserve grade, Reid has ended up claiming a spot in firsts on the wing.

"It [being on the wing] is not something I was used to because I'm normally around the ball a lot more," Reid said.

"The first few games I was probably waiting for the ball to come to me, but more recently I've been going to look for it myself."

Reid has played the six most recent games in the top grade, highlighted by four wins and crucially three on the trot at the business end of the year.

In that time Cessnock were all-but campaign over, including a 57-0 loss to minor premiers Western Suburbs last month, and needed everything to fall their way in the last round of the regular season to even make the five.

Now, after sneaking into the semis, the Goannas are one win away from their first grand final berth since 2014.

"I'm absolutely loving it," Reid said. "We're working together and getting it done. We're pretty tight and the vibe is pretty sick at the moment. We're only 80 minutes away from a grand final."

Reid arrived in the Newcastle Rugby League competition via contact with former Cessnock player Terry Bullen as well as communication between current Goannas coach Todd Edwards and Noosa-based former NRL pivot Noel Goldthorpe.

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