Teammates have rallied around fullback Te Maire Martin as he prepares for his inspirational NRL comeback.
Martin will make his Broncos debut against the Bulldogs on Friday night after 1,092 days away from the top grade in the wake of being diagnosed with a bleed on the brain.
The silky backline star had his 55-game NRL career put on hold in April 2019 as a 23-year-old – his last game in the top grade for the Cowboys at fullback against the Bulldogs in Round 7 that year.
Martin, 26, spent a year and a half away from the sport, before the Broncos offered him a one-year development list contract this season which has seen him playing good football for Broncos Affiliate Wynnum Manly Seagulls in the Hostplus Cup.
Broncos lock Kobe Hetherington said Martin’s story was an inspiration to the entire Broncos squad.
“It’s good to see Te Maire back again,” Hetherington said. “With what he went through with his head, I’m glad he is back playing footy.
“He looks good at training and he is looking fit so he will be good for us. He is pretty quiet off the field, he doesn’t talk much about what he went through.
“But it’s huge for him to come back and it’s good for us boys, too, we get to share a special moment with him on Friday night.”
Prop Corey Jensen, who spent time playing alongside Martin at the Cowboys, agreed.
“It’s a great story … Te Maire is a great player, I had a lot to do with him coming through at the Cowboys – he knows what it’s like in the NRL arena and he’ll take the opportunity with both hands,” said Jensen.
Speaking about his comeback to the NRL with the Broncos, Martin said: “It's been a long two and a half years to get my career back on track. When my scans came back giving me the all clear, I wanted to come back. You don't realise how much you miss the game and the boys until you are out of the game for two or three years.
“I had a lot of scans and saw specialists. The only healing I could really do was rest. I got a job pushing sand in big machines sitting down all day. Just having a rest and no contact enabled it to heal and the specialists gave me the all clear last year to come back with the Broncos.
“I was very emotional to come back and I'm really enjoying it here at the Broncos. Everything feels good, even going to the change rooms, just the smell of the dressing room, it brings all the memories back. It's been a long time out.’’
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