The Job Helping Preston Deliver for the Bulldogs

Jacob Preston is sitting in Sydney's notorious traffic, inching towards his destination as his mind starts to wander. 

It's 2021 and the young forward steadily rising through the junior pathways is working as a delivery driver, crisscrossing his way through the Northern Beaches delivering parcels. But his mind is elsewhere. 

As he sits in traffic, Preston is dreaming about the future. He's dreaming about running out for the Bulldogs in front of packed stadiums. 

This dream has rapidly become a reality, the forward developing into a household name and preparing to play in front of more than 60,000 passionate fans in Canterbury's annual Good Friday clash with the Rabbitohs at Accor Stadium.

But just four years ago, Preston was working as a delivery driver and studying a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at UNSW as he took the early steps towards achieving his Rugby League dreams.

"I was playing Jersey Flegg in 2021 and 2022, going to university while also delivering parcels full time," Preston told NRL.com. 

"It was good but I just wanted to be playing NRL. I look back on the time with great memories, I met a lot of good people and got to work as a subcontractor under my dad and loved that. 

"I [started my degree] in 2021, it's been a bit of a slow grind. I did the first year full-time, then once I started full-time footy, I've just been part-time and slowly chipping away."

Preston's form this year has been crucial to the Bulldogs' undefeated start to the season, the 23-year-old stepping up in Viliame Kikau's absence. 

Typically a right-edge forward, Preston has spent time on both sides of the field while his fellow back rower was unavailable due to a knee injury.

Kikau is expected to return to the field on Friday afternoon, along with five-eighth Matt Burton, who was also sidelined with an MCL strain. 

No matter what side of field he's playing on, Preston hasn't skipped a beat and has emerged as a State of Origin bolter in recent weeks. 

The forward faces stiff competition for a place in the NSW team, with incumbents Angus Crichton and Liam Martin and in-form Raiders star Hudson Young also in the mix. 

Preston's teammates are confident he can deliver on the big stage and Friday's clash in front of a record-breaking crowd is a chance to send a message to Blues coach Laurie Daley. 

"He's an incredible young player and an incredible young man," Kurt Mann told NRL.com. "He's a very good kid who's got a big future ahead of him. 

I can definitely see him in an Origin jersey, he's a good kid with a big career ahead of him.

Preston may have made it in the NRL, but he hasn't stopped thinking about the future. He continues to study part-time and was recently awarded a prestigious UNSW Vice-Chancellor's Blues Awards for his dedication to sport and education. 

Further studies are on the cards down the track, with his undergraduate degree opening up a variety of career paths. 

Preston is excited for what the future holds, but for now, he's focused on extending the Bulldogs unbeaten start to the season on Friday afternoon. 

"There's a few different [post-university] options," Preston said. "I could further my studies with a masters in law or I could go into police law enforcement in forensics so we'll see what happens but hopefully it's a long time off yet."