St George Illawarra recruit Lachlan Ilias claims he is already a better player than the one dropped by South Sydney, as the halfback prepares for his first NRL game in 355 days.
Ilias will get his second chance at life as NRL halfback on Saturday, set to wear the No.7 for the Dragons in their season-opening clash with Canterbury at a heaving Kogarah.
Dropped by the Rabbitohs after their round-two loss to Brisbane last March and told he could leave the club, Ilias then had his leg broken weeks later playing in the NSW Cup.
The 24-year-old spent the next seven months in limbo with no certainty around his future, before the Red V offered him a lifeline.
But despite only playing pre-season football since last April, Ilias said he was now a better playmaker after close to a year on the sidelines.
"I think I'm a better player," Ilias said.
"Any half maturing would agree with me. They would say that they're better off with that extra year.
"That's the main part about being a half. It's getting through the first couple of years. Everyone's been down, no matter who you are.
"It's just getting through those first couple of years, and then maturing and finding yourself. I'm excited to show that this year."
Ilias' arrival in Wollongong has also given him something of a fresh start, after facing an immediate spotlight at Souths when he replaced Adam Reynolds.
St George Illawarra's new-look spine of Clint Gutherson, Kyle Flanagan, Ilias and Damien Cook has impressed in pre-season trials wins, despite limited time together during the summer.
Ilias and Cook do at least have a combination together from South Sydney, while the Dragons have largely kept the same structures in place as last season.
The No.7 said the biggest improvement in his game had been a realisation to put more focus on himself, rather than everyone else on the field.
"You can probably think, coming through, that you've got to think about a lot of other things," Ilias said.
"Maturing is simplifying what you need to do. Just simplifying and getting good at your role ... and worrying about your role.
"We've got a lot of strike all over the park, so I've just got to do my job and give them the ball when they need the ball."
Ilias said the overriding feeling on his return was one of excitement and not relief, having got through the toughest emotions shortly after the injury.
"Once I got through that initial stage it was alright. At the end of the day, it's just an injury," Ilias said.
"After the surgery I was in quite a bit of pain, just with a lot of swelling. The leg ballooned out.
"It was probably those first two weeks that was probably the toughest. But after that you see slight improvements every single day, every week."
