From the age of five, scoring tries was one of the few things that made James Roberts happy.
He once scored seven tries playing for the under-8 Ballina Seagulls; that was a good day.
After he moved to Sydney and lived with his uncle Amos Roberts, James linked with the La Perouse Panthers and scored hat-tricks in South Sydney district grand final wins in under-15s, 16s and 17s; more good days.
But in between there have been plenty of bad days.
Despite being blessed with genetics that made him the 'fast kid' ever since he learnt how to run, off the field was where James lacked the skills to properly contribute to society.
He knows he did bad things and while regretful, now owns his mistakes, saying that they have shaped the person – the happy person – that he is today.
Less than 12 months since joining the Titans and scoring a try on debut against the Storm, Roberts is eager to turn his third career lifeline into a long-term commitment and see out his playing days on the Gold Coast.
"I think that was one of my main downfalls when I was younger. At the start when I came through I was on fire and then once I got some injuries and I was young I didn't know how to cope with it and I was getting frustrated," Roberts tells NRL.com.
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