Watching Nathan Cleary suffer an ankle fracture and seeing the reaction of his Penrith teammates immediately brought Dylan Lucas back to the night his own year appeared to be over.
Lucas knows the injuries are different. But he also knows what it is like to see teammates visibly shocked and uncomfortable as a player suffers a horrific ankle injury, before suddenly being faced with the reality of a long rehabilitation.
When Lucas was taken from the field in a medi-cab after a gruesome ankle dislocation against the Sydney Roosters in Round 21, there was an immediate feeling his season, and World Cup ambition, were finished.
Now just over two months later, he is preparing to face those same Roosters in an NRL Grand Final.
His remarkable recovery has given Lucas a unique perspective on what Cleary is now facing, particularly the mental challenge that comes with returning from a serious injury.
“Probably the biggest challenge when you're coming back from injury is getting your confidence back and actually telling yourself that you are ready to go and that you can go out there and do a job again,” Lucas told Zero Tackle.
“That was probably the hardest part, just ticking the boxes I need to at training to give myself the confidence to go out there."
The Knights second rower admits the first few weeks were the most difficult.
“The first couple of weeks were pretty slow. I was just in a moon boot, weight bearing a little bit and sort of trying to get my range of motion back and get the swelling down. Then after the first couple of weeks and the swelling went down, it sort of just took a turn for the better. From there, I decided to push the boundaries a little bit earlier,” he said.
Once Lucas saw an opportunity to return, he began pushing himself to make it back in time once he realised the Knights would be playing in finals football.
“It was probably just before my six week scan. I looked pretty good so I was keen to push the boundaries and try to get back and help the boys win the finals series,” Lucas shared.
“I was honestly just trying to bear weight on it as soon as I could even if it was just for a little bit a day. Just trying to get back to normal as quickly as possible then starting running.
“Once you start running it gets a little sore but yeah just trying to look after it on my days off and doing absolutely anything I could to get back here.”
But Lucas' motivation was never solely about getting himself back onto an NRL field to simply play.
There was a group of teammates he desperately wanted to share the field with again.
Dane Gagai will leave Newcastle for the Brisbane Broncos next season, while Tyson Frizell remains without a contract for 2027.
The prospect of missing what could be their final games together gave Lucas another reason to keep pushing through the difficult stages of his rehabilitation.
“We've got a few boys that aren't going to be here next year and I have played a fair bit of footy with them, and I love paying footy with them. So to be able to get back and lace up the boots with them, that was something that was definitely motivating me to get back,” he said.
That motivation helped Lucas return in time to play a role in the finals.
This Sunday will be his third appearance since returning from the injury, with the forward set to come off the bench in the Grand Final.
The turnaround is remarkable.
Lucas went from being carried away from the field in Round 21, with his teammates fearing the worst, to potentially playing in a premiership decider barely nine weeks later.
And while his physical recovery has been extraordinary, Lucas believes staying close to his teammates was just as important in getting his mind ready to return.
“Coming to training,“ Lucas revealed was the biggest help.
That is the same advice he now has for Cleary and anyone else facing an extended rehabilitation.
“It's not nice. You don't like to see any players get any injury and Nath's one of the great players of our game. I'm sure he'll be very diligent with his rehab and he'll be back next year and be back flying again,” Lucas said.
“You have just got to stay around the group as much as you can. You can get in your head during rehab when you're not with the boys as much.”
For Lucas, though, the reward for fighting through the pain and uncertainty is now sitting directly in front of him.
A Grand Final.
A chance to help Newcastle win its first premiership since 2001.
And, perhaps most importantly, a chance to lace up alongside the teammates he was so desperate to get back to.
The Newcastle community has also made sure Lucas knows exactly what his return means.
“I was cruising around a little bit yesterday as I had to go out to the shops and everyone was pumped. Everyone you say just wants to tell you how good you're going and its so special to realise what kind of impact you can have on a town like this,” Lucas said.
“They love their footy and they love us when we're going well, or we're not going well.
“I am just feeling all of the love a little but more this week and it's something we don't take for granted. I am very grateful that I'm in an opportunity to do something special for this town.”
Lucas' injury may be different to Cleary's, but the perspective he can offer is still valuable.
He knows the shock of watching an ankle injury unfold in front of teammates. He knows the uncertainty that follows. He knows how difficult it can be to trust the body again.
And he knows the importance of having something to fight for.
For Lucas, that meant getting back for his teammates.
Now, it means helping them finish the job.
