If you are going to have a role model in rugby, then it may as well be a decent one rather than the bloke who plays down the road for the Lamb & Flag and spends his Friday evenings on the lash with his mates.
Evidently, young Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler believes as much, too.
He is the teenager being developed by the Ospreys and Neath who is quietly being seen as the genuine article. Rated highly enough to have been summoned into the Wales Under-20s squad at the age of just 18 for the recent Junior World Championship, he is physically imposing at 6ft 3in and 15st 7lb but also has a wide skill set.
Former Ospreys backs coach Gruff Rees is on record as saying Thomas-Wheeler reminds him of Ashley Beck and the player himself makes no secret of his admiration for the ex-Ospreys centre, who coached him from a young age with Neath Schools and with Trebanos, where the young midfield man has played.
But Thomas-Wheeler also picks out a celebrated All Black as someone he holds in the highest regard.
“Sonny Bill Williams is a massive role model,” he said in an interview with the Rugby Paper.
“He’s a superstar and his offloads are insane, so he’s someone I’ve always looked up to.
“I love to offload as well and I really enjoy getting my hands through the tackler and keeping the ball alive.”
Thomas-Wheeler sports orange boots and made his Guinness PRO14 debut for the Ospreys against Zebre last season.
He is viewed as a player who has the talent to come through. Whether that happens in the coming season remains to be seen, with the youngster set to be involved in the new under-23s competition and also play Welsh Premiership rugby with Neath, but he has a smooth passing game and an instinctive eye for a gap.
His Trebanos RFC links mean he is following in the footsteps of illustrious sportsmen, with Robert Jones, Justin Tipuric, Arwel Thomas, Rhodri Jones, Andy Lloyd, Bleddyn Bowen and the cricketer Greg Thomas all emerging from the village.
Thomas-Wheeler has a long way to go to match the achievements of any of those, but he is on his way and the probability is we will be hearing a lot more from him in the seasons ahead.
The Ospreys midfield pool in 2018-19 will comprise Scott Williams, Owen Watkin, James Hook, Cory Allen, Joe Thomas and three younger players in Kieran Williams, Tom Williams and Thomas-Wheeler, with Lesley Klim also able to play centre, though it seems he will firstly be considered as a wing.
With Scott Williams and Owen Watkin set to be required by Wales in the season ahead, there should be chances for the new faces to back up Hook and Allen.
It will be interesting to see how Kieran Williams goes after his return from the serious ankle injury he suffered playing against Cardiff Blues last November. The compact midfielder, whose low centre of gravity and pocket-rocket build have led to comparisons with a young Scott Gibbs, is another who is likely to feature at under-23 level and in the Premiership.
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But, like Thomas-Wheeler, he is expected to make it.
While he isn’t the biggest centre who ever played, he is an explosive runner and a committed defender. If opportunities arise for him, it would be no surprise to see him grasping them with both hands.
Thomas is more of a throwback, a centre who lets the ball do the work and creates space for those around him.
Meantime, Klim has received a seal of approval from Saracens legend and fellow Namibian Jacques Burger.
The endorsement was short but undeniably sweet for Klim, and it will encourage Liberty Stadium regulars to believe that their region may just have pulled in a gem for the campaign ahead.
After Klim scored four tries for Namibia in their 118-0 win over Tunisia, Burger felt moved to post on Twitter: “Lesley Klim. Remember that name.”
The assumption is Burger took into account that Tunisia are 42nd in the world rugby rankings, sandwiched between Sri Lanka and Colombia.
But those who have worked with Klim feel he does he something to offer as an attacker.
Clive Griffiths, who coached Klim at Doncaster, said: “Lesley is a young player with a lot of potential.
“His first challenge will be to adapt to the pace of higher-level rugby and iron out the odd crease in his game that every player has, but if he develops fully he could do well for the Ospreys.”
