Josh Kerr's arrival at the St George Illawarra Dragons isn't just a story of returning to the club that gave him his NRL debut.
It's a story of maturity, growth, and the impact a family can have on a man.
Kerr debuted in 2019 with the Saints before moving up north to join the Dolphins midway through the 2023 season after falling out of favour.
Now he returns to the Dragons with a new lease on life.
"It's been good to be back," Kerr told NRL.com.
"I have grown up a lot but I've still got that little kid inside me. I moved away, I had a few things going on when I was here but I went away, got engaged, bought my first house and had my first kid.
"A lot of things have changed for me and I get to come back with more of a mature mindset but you still can't get rid of that kid inside me.
"I've always been afraid of putting my focus somewhere else in case I lost it but when I had my little kid and heard his cry for the first time, I just knew my responsibility as a man was to make sure I did whatever it took to take care of him, put a roof over his head and be the best dad I can be."
While he has become a dad off the field, Kerr has reportedly also become somewhat of a dad on the field too, embracing a leadership role in the young Dragons forward pack.
As the oldest forward in the pack, Kerr hopes to play a significant role in the development of Dyan Egan, Loko Pasifiki Tonga, the Couchman twins, Jacob Halangahu and Hamish Stewart.
"He's been a great leader for us young blokes," Stewart told NRL.com.
"He's a lot more mature than I heard he was and he does little things like grabbing us to do extras, getting the group together and talking about what we're trying to do.
"He's been great for us young blokes and the whole squad in general since coming back here for pre-season."
Kerr will make his first appearance back in the Red V since his departure in 2023 after being named to start their pre-season match against the Newcastle Knights.
