IT was an emotional occasion for Bulls legend Leon Pryce on Thursday night, as he watched teenage son Will make his Super League debut for Huddersfield.

The 18-year-old stand-off came on for the final 20 minutes of the Giants' 50-12 defeat to Catalans, an exciting cameo which showed he has the potential to become a future star.

His dad, who won multiple honours with Bradford and St Helens in a 20-year playing career, said: "It was a proud moment for all the family.

"There's been a lot of hard work and a lot to do for Will to get to this point.

"A lot of people get into teams when the side is out of form or struggling with injuries (the latter is the case for Huddersfield in the halves).

"That's what's happened with Will, and it's a big opportunity now for an 18-year-old prospect to make a name for himself and try and nail down a first-team spot."

Asked if his son was always going to follow in his footsteps, Pryce said: "He's been kicking a ball since he was eight months old and I was taking him to training and games as soon as he was old enough.

"But I've never forced it upon him, he's always enjoyed playing.

"He's a student of the game, who's always followed it, and his passion and love for the sport shines through."

It all started in Bradford for the 18-year-old too, with Pryce saying: "He spent a lot of years at West Bowling in the juniors, where he had great coaching from Martin Tordoff, and he made lifelong friends there from the age of four or five.

"He got a real grounding there, as it's one big community, and that family atmosphere in rugby league is so important.

"It's not just about on the field, it's about what goes on off the field too, and the friendships you form, which he had at Siddal too."

The younger Pryce is now part of the Huddersfield and England academies, and talking about what the Super League club have done for him, his dad said: "They've really looked after him while he's been training with the first team, and he's come on leaps and bounds over the last seven or eight months.

"Andy Kelly has always been fantastic with him in the academy, as has first-team coach Ian Watson.

"I don't want to put any pressure on Will, as there's enough of that as it is, and he's only played the one Super League game, but the ball's in his court with where he can go from here.

"The world is his oyster."

And Pryce is putting all his focus on his son for now, saying: "Part of me would like to still be involved in the game with coaching, but it can be frustrating after you finish playing, feeling like you have to stay in the game.

"I feel like I've maybe had my time in rugby and now I want to support Will and invest my time in him.

"He plays at stand-off like me, so I've tried to teach him everything I know.

"I want to help him and keep him from making the same mistakes I did.

"If I do those things as well as I can, it will stand him in good stead."