With high tackling accuracy, a State of Origin appearance, and 85 games at the highest level under his belt, it's be easy to get a big head, but Martin's down-to-earth personality has kept him grounded.

Temora Dragons secretary Mark Hughes coached Martin as he worked his way through the local junior system.

"He was just your typical bush kid," Hughes said.

Coming from the family farm to train and play, Hughes said Martin always had a good head on him and was never one to showboat.

"He's always had a sense of responsibility. He can handle anything, like someone could put a microphone in front of him easily and he can think on his feet," Hughes said.

"You could just sort of tell that whatever he wanted to do, he was going to do it or give it a good crack and now he's getting his just desserts."

Dedicated to his beloved Dragons, Martin worked hard to make representative teams and develop himself into the best footballer he could be.

Hughes said from an early age Martin's respect for his teammates, club, and opposition pushed him to improve outside of training, he even set up a makeshift gym at his family's farm.

"He wasn't gifted anything," Hughes said.

"He's had to work so hard, and not being a big back rower by NRL standards, he just works that bit harder to give himself an edge with his fitness, his physique. He's giving himself every chance possible to succeed."

Also watching this weekend will be NSW Rugby League Bidgee area manager, David Skinner, who believes Martin's attitude has helped foster success at Penrith.

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Skinner met Martin as a junior going through the representative system, and picked him as one to succeed early on.

When recruiters were looking at two boys from the region, Skinner said only one, Martin, had the drive to get through the pathways to the NRL, and he was right.

Despite the flash of making it to the top league, Skinner said Martin has always remembered where he came from, donating his time back into community sport and junior football.

"The best way I can describe Liam is he's never had his head in the clouds," Skinner said.

When country juniors make their way to Penrith for representative opportunities, Martin is first up to lead a club rooms tour and gives the kids as much time as he can.

As a club, Penrith has experienced immense success in the 2022 season, including premiership wins in the NSW and Jersey Flegg Cups.

Skinner believes appearances from the NRL team at these games showed a commitment to lower grades and respect between the teams that he has no doubt Martin has been involved in developing.

"He's part of that culture in the club and he's helped build that," Skinner said.

Both Skinner and Hughes said Martin is a pleasure to have back in Temora, with any hint of his new city life quickly left behind.

"He slips back into the country lifestyle, gets around in his shorts, singlet, and thongs and has a beer with the boys," Hughes laughed.

While Martin will be putting on his boots, and not his thongs, this Sunday, Temora will be cheering him on, and hoping to have a celebratory beer with him next time he is in town.

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