A determination to repay Melbourne for missing so many matches, and a desire to keep them top of the ladder, were factors in Ryan Papenhuyzen insisting he was ready to make his injury return in the NRL.
The 2020 Clive Churchill Medal winner scored a signature try with great support play and saved one at the death in Friday's 30-24 win over the Dolphins, having missed five NRL matches with a right ankle fracture.
It was the same ankle he broke in week one of the finals against Brisbane last year, after he missed 13 months with a shattered kneecap.
Coach Craig Bellamy said after the Dolphins win he had considered easing his gun No.1 back into action through the Queensland Cup, before adding Papenhuyzen had insisted he was ready for a return in the NRL.
Papenhuyzen, who has been named to play Canberra at AAMI Park on Saturday night, explained why he was so keen to get back.
"I feel like I owe the club a lot," Papenhuyzen told AAP.
"Because of how many games I’ve missed over the last few years and because I know how big combinations are.
"It is important to work on those combinations, especially with the Origin boys out.
"I have been through a couple of injuries now and generally when I was in the frame to be ready, I knew I wasn’t ready.
"This time I knew I was ready. I knew the protocol I had to get though. I knew the exercises I needed to do. I knew how I needed to pull up after the field sessions. I was ticking all those boxes.
"I wanted to play again. It is a really good environment to be in at the moment and an honour to be picked in the first-grade side.
"The physio staff gave me their blessing, so off I went."
The 26-year-old said there was plenty more improvement to come from his Dolphins display.
"It is good to get it out of the way but there were a few more things I could do," he said.
"That is what these next few weeks are about - just finding my feet again and finding my role in the side, because the boys have been playing really well without me.
"It was just nice to get a feel for it again and get a win.
"We are sitting on top with plenty of improvement in us. Teams are going to come after us so it is about getting better each week now.
"That is my goal, to keeping adding things to my game. If we can do that we will be in pretty good stead by the end of the year."
