The Merimbula-Pambula junior was asked to start in the back-row for the Warriors' round 20 fixture against the Tigers.

"It all came about with Josh Curran being forced to withdraw because of a kidney complaint, which saw Viliami [Vailea] debut and me shift into the forwards," Aitken said.

"I embraced the decision and just ripped in the best I could and I did not want to let the team down."

Rip in he did, as the 26-year-old finished the 18-16 win against Wests with two tries, 163 metres from 18 runs and 41 tackles.

Read more: Woolley misses medal as Australia win skateboarding gold

"With the way our team is shaping up at the moment and the fact Browny [Nathan Brown] liked the way I played there last week, I'm more than happy to do what's best for the team and slide into the back-row again," Aitken, who admits the idea of shifting to the second-row was floated at the end of his stint with the Dragons, said.

"We have a lot of talented outside backs in our squad at the moment and this allows us to get as many of our top players on the field at the same time.

"I'm a competitor and want to play great football regardless of where I'm lining up.

"Obviously down the line I'd love to get back in the centres, as I feel I play my best footy there, but I'm happy to stay in the back-row for now."

This latest move adds to what Aitken has labelled as a 'rollercoaster' debut season with the Warriors.

"I don't think I've played in the same position two weeks in a row, moving from left to right centre before back to left and now back-row - while also mix in my ankle injury and unfortunate COVID-19 close contact," he said.

"This year I have been all over the shop but I've just been trying to focus on what's in front of me and doing what I can to help the team win."

Adding to that disjointed season is the fact the Warriors have changed bases from Kiama to Tamworth to Central Coast and now the Gold Coast this season.

Read more: Mariners' country champs campaign struck out by COVID-19 lockdown

"The uncertainty has been hard at times, as a lot of the boys have families - I've got a partner and having to move them around was difficult," he said.

"It hasn't been ideal and I'm sure all the boys are looking forward to staying put for a couple of weeks now.

"Hopefully we can string a couple of wins together, starting with Cronulla on Saturday, and end the season strong, as I believe we can still make finals with the run home we've got.

"I just love winning and if we can finish the season on a high, then we can carry that into next season."

Aitken also admitted his plan at this stage is to play for Scotland if October's Rugby League World Cup goes ahead in England as planned.

"It's not every day you get to play at a World Cup, so there have definitely been discussions about me playing for Scotland but there are still a couple of things we have to work out between then and now," he said.

We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.