Former NZ Kiwis halfback Te Maire Martin admits his return to the NRL is a surreal feeling.
Martin hasn't played first grade since 2019, when a small bleed on the brain forced him into early retirement.
Now, after being cleared to play, Martin will run out at fullback for Brisbane Broncos on Friday, as his remarkable story comes full circle.
Martin has been taking it all in at training, knowing he's on the cusp of an incredible comeback.
"I'm just all excited now," he said. "I feel pretty ready, even though I've been out for two-and-a-bit years."
Part way through 2019, while playing for North Queensland Cowboys, one of the game's rising stars was stopped in his tracks, when he started getting headaches.
"Captain's run, it was there again," he reflected. "I took some painkillers and it just didn't really go away.
"I remember pummelling in the warm up, doing shoulder stuff and my head was just crazy sore."
Forced to step away with a brain injury, he made his way back through club league in New Zealand and the Broncos soon came calling.
"It's all a bit surreal, to be honest. Everything's happening pretty quick."
"We particularly like what he's been doing here at training," said Broncos coach Kevin Walters. "The other boys from the NRL side often tell us how hard he is to defend against, with his array of skills, so that's part of the reason he's playing for us tomorrow night."
Now all that's left to do is lace up the boots
"I'm just looking forward to tomorrow and ripping in with the boys," said Martin.
After all Te Maire Martin's been through, you can understand why.
