The next day he and his fiancee Sarah would begin the 26-hour journey from Mackay to Wollongong, all in the hope of one day making his debut in the big time. 

For the previous three pre-seasons, Pereira had been knocked back by the Cowboys, who believed they already had enough outside backs in their squad. 

A career in rugby league seemed out of reach. 

Then the phone call came. 

“It was completely out of the blue,” he says after training at WIN Stadium this week. “I was playing in Mackay for three seasons and nothing, no whispers, I’d been asking if I could get a pre-season with the Cowboys, every single year.

“I was asking, ‘please, let me show you I could work my way into a system’. There were always ums and ahs, but it never eventuated into anything, I was a bit disappointed with that. 

“Then it was June 29 and my manager calls. ‘The Dragons want you, you’ve got a day to get it done’.”

At this point, Pereira looks over to his fiancee, the enormity of the opportunity – and the move – beginning to sink in, both knowing it was time to start packing. 

As fate would have it, Pereira would make his NRL debut for St George Illawarra against the Cowboys, little more than 12 months on.

He’d spent time in reserve grade at the ground across the road to 1300Smiles Stadium in Townsville, dreaming of the day it would come. 

Pereira scored a try too, on the end of a phenomenal piece of adlib play, to add it to the 16 he’s scored in the NSW Premiership in as many games this year.

With Nene Macdonald out with a foot injury, could Pereira become the X-factor to drive the Dragons towards a premiership?

Could the 25-year-old – who came from park footy in Perth and only played on the wing to learn the game after switching from rugby union – produce form so irresistible it could force the last Dragons premiership player Jason Nightingale, out of the team, and potentially into retirement, when Macdonald returns?

It remains to be seen. 

But Pereira believes he’s ready to handle the NRL finals pressure-cooker, learning about the levels of professionalism it takes from 2010 premiership captain Ben Hornby.

Learning the art and subtleties of positional play from Nightingale and the motivational support from NSW forward Tariq Sims during the tortures of preseason. 

“It was a waiting game,” he said. “I genuinely don’t believe I was ready 19 rounds ago, it was my first full NRL pre-season, just learning the ropes. They got me ready, so it did take a while, obviously I got a crack. I’m stoked, I don’t really want to let it go.”