Joey Leilua has credited boxing with helping turn his life around after he was left without a club at the end of the 2021 season.
The two-time Dally M Centre of the Year wasn't re-signed by the Tigers at the end of the year and failed to find any other suitors in the NRL.
At just 29, Leilua was considering retirement before a text out of the blue gave him the motivation he needed.
"I didn't have a club at the time. No one really wanted me so it was kind of disappointing because I'd given everything to the game," Leilua told Sporting News.
"I got a text from a mate of mine saying, 'Do you want to fight?' I said, 'Yeah, I'll take it.' I didn't know who it was yet. I just said I'll fight whoever."
Having not been taken to Queensland with the Tigers squad when the competition relocated, Leilua had let himself get out of shape, but threw himself into boxing training.
"It was tough. It kind of got me through the process of not having a club at the time. I just made sure I trained hard," he said.
"I'm back in shape again. I was overweight during that period when I didn't have a club, I was kind of sad at the time, but I got training, made sure I did my work and I got picked up by Featherstone."
Leilua has signed a two-year deal with Featherstone Rovers in the English Championship, while he takes on former NRL player Chris Heighington on the undercard to Paul Gallen's fight with Darcy Lussick on December 22.
Watch Leilua vs. Heighington and Gallen vs. Lussick with Kayo
The southpaw admits he's become a sweet science fanatic in recent months.
"I never watched boxing as much, and now I watch everything. I watch it as a fighter now, not as a fan," Leilua said.
"I used to watch it as a fan, just seeing people get knocked out, but now I watch it as how he got knocked out and techniques they use.
"It made me focus just purely on boxing and it got me away from footy."
Leilua's plans were however put on hold when he contracted COVID-19 - the illness ended up hospitalising him for eight days.
"It was disappointing because before that I was fit, I was super fit," he said.
"The first week was devastating, I can't describe the feeling, I just couldn't breathe.
"There was one night I thought I was going to pass way. That's how bad it got.
"I couldn't leave my kids and wife behind. I made sure I just pushed through it and stayed alive. That's what got me through that COVID period, seeing my kids again.
"It's probably the worst thing I've ever got in my whole life. Every surgery, everything, nothing compares to COVID. I'd rather break my back or break my knee or something.
"The first day I got out I went on a treadmill for a three-minute walk and I puffed out, just walking on level four."
While training buddy Josh Aloiai was, on Manly's orders, made to withdraw from his scheduled fight with Gallen, Leilua was determined to persevere.
"It's about proving people wrong. You can get knocked down and you can always get back up. That's the attitude I'm bringing into this fight," he added.
"A bit like the Rocky saying, it's not how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and get up."
Leilua, who is predicting his fight with Heighington won't require the judges one way or the other, said boxing has helped improve his mental health.
"I was in a depression during the three months [I didn't have a contract]. I didn't really care about anything and now I care about boxing, care about something," he said.
"Three months ago I was thinking I'd just quit footy and go work a normal job and I was happy with that, but boxing has made me think there's so much more out there than just rugby league, there's more to life than just football."
Watch Leilua vs. Heighington and Gallen vs. Lussick with Kayo