Determined young hooker Andrew McCullough wants to eventually impact a game for Brisbane as champion organiser Cameron Smith does with Melbourne.

It’s a lofty target given Smith is widely regarded as rugby league’s No.1 player, and not one the 22 year-old talks about publicly.

Even after his breakthrough year in 2012, McCullough prefers to talk about improving his consistency; about being a better team player or about doing whatever his coach asks of him.

But like any young player, he also wants to be the best he can and to have a major impact playing a position where he can drive his team.

McCullough took some steps in that direction last season as Brisbane’s Players’ Player and also the major gong, Player of the Year, joining the likes of former captain Darren Lockyer, current skipper Sam Thaiday, champion half Allan Langer and forward greats Petero Civoniceva and Shane Webcke.

He also played his 100th game for the club during the season — the youngest forward in Broncos history to achieve the honour.

“I’d like to start from where I left off last year,” said McCullough, who is making a rapid recovery from off-season shoulder surgery.

“There are a lot of areas I want to work on and improve on and, whatever Hook (coach Anthony Griffin) wants me to do for the team, I’ll do.

“If I can get the consistency he wants and the consistency I want and the team needs, then I’ll be happy.”

In his quest to be the best, McCullough feels he has eliminated a lot of errors from his game and is making better decisions out of dummy half.

“The gap between my best game and my worst game wasn’t as dramatic this year as it had been the previous years,” he said.

“You know you’re going in the right direction when that is happening.”