There's no bones about it - Lachlan Lewis is from rugby league royalty.
The nephew of immortal Wally Lewis will add some famous rugby league DNA to Canterbury's line-up on Saturday when he makes his debut against Newcastle.
Lachlan is the son of Scott Lewis, who played alongside Wally in Brisbane during their junior days before the latter carved out one of the game's most celebrated careers.
And while Wally hasn't closely followed Lachlan's career, the Queensland icon believes he's an exact replica of his old man.
"He's a carbon copy, an absolute carbon copy. He's a bag of bones and that was Scott's nickname, 'Bones'," Wally told AAP on Friday.
"Lachy's tall for a halfback, remarkably tall. Halfbacks are usually the shortest and he's about six-foot-two-and-a-half, so it's a little bit different for the halfback stakes.
"I'll just be one of the many relatives watching with anticipation hoping he handles it comfortably."
Scott played mostly in Brisbane before joining Wally at Super League side Wakefield Trinity for two seasons.
"Scott was pretty quick, very speedy. He had good ball sense too, handled the ball pretty well," Wally said.
"And later on, when we went to England, he ventured out into the centres and played a bit there and a bit on the wing. But halfback was definitely his position."
Ditto Lachlan, who joins a Bulldogs side in the dumps following the departures of Moses Mbye and Aaron Woods due to salary cap pressures.
Marquee playmaker Kieran Foran and rising second-rower Raymond Faitala-Mariner have also suffered season-ending injuries, leaving the club to firm for the wooden spoon.
They are two points ahead of last-placed Parramatta.
"It hasn't been a good year for them but Lachlan had nothing to do with any of that. He's proven that he's got what it takes to get here, now it's about finding that consistency," Wally said.
The 12th-placed Knights are six points adrift of the eight but a win could spark a run, particularly with their own star halfback Mitchell Pearce aiming to return in two weeks.
Will Hopoate reverts to fullback following Mbye's exit, with Kerrod Holland and Rhyse Martin recalled to the starting line-up.
STATS THAT MATTER
* The Bulldogs have won five straight against Newcastle, a better streak than against anyone else.
* Kalyn Ponga leads the league in try assists and tackle busts. His 49.2 per cent involvement in line breaks is also a competition high.
* The Knights have the best completion rate in the league but are last in metres made and offloads.
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