Nathan Merritt has been handed a time no one wants.
Roughly 12 months to live, and within that window, he carries one quiet, burning hope.
The Rabbitohs legend is deep in a battle with stage four cancer of the liver and oesophagus, enduring round after round of chemotherapy.
Yet despite the weight of the illness, he is preparing to do something remarkable.
He'll walk back into an NRL stadium for the first time in over two years, this Good Friday.
Souths have extended a deeply meaningful invitation, asking Merritt to ring the iconic Legacy Bell ahead of kick-off against the Bulldogs.
It will be a rare and emotional public appearance, a chance for the faithful to stand and salute the man who made the left wing his personal domain, racking up 154 career tries, 135 of them in the cardinal and myrtle.
Merritt, in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, revealed he has one wish: "To see South Sydney win the premiership.”
"To see Souths win another comp, that would be a great way to go out,” Merritt told SMH.
"The doctors have given me 12 months or so. The chemo is to prolong my life expectancy.
"I'm in a bit of pain, but I'm not as bad as what others have experienced. Souths have the team to do it. I'd just love to see them in a grand final again. As a fan of the club, it would be a wonderful moment.
"Hopefully they can stay injury-free and give themselves the best chance to be there.”
The night
Alex Johnston rewrote history, shattering the game's all-time try-scoring record against the Roosters at Allianz Stadium, Merritt was at home, too fatigued to be there in person.
"But watching the scenes was awesome – I had the hairs on the back of my neck stand up,” Merritt said.
“I was spewing I wasn't at the game because I would have tried to run on the field as well.
"The chemo has sapped most of my energy. I get tired really quickly. I've lost about 20kg, and I'm down from 105kg to 83kgs.
"The last game I went to was Indigenous Round at Homebush when Souths played against Parra. I'm looking forward to Good Friday.
“I had a lot of great memories playing against the Dogs. There was one year, I think it was 2013, we came up with a trick play, and
Adam Reynolds kicked it across field for me, we caught them off guard on the opposite side of the field.”
Merritt stunned the rugby league world in March when he went public with his diagnosis.
Having already endured two rounds of chemotherapy, with a third scheduled in April.
It is not his first brush with mortality, with SMH revealing in 2024 Merritt was lucky to be alive after spending time in an induced coma at the tail end of 2023, struck down by a savage double pneumonia.
Souths centre
Jack Wighton was unequivocal in his admiration.
He's one of the greats, and someone I looked up to when I was growing up, and when I was playing," Wighton said.
"The club loves him. I got to know him a bit outside of footy, and he's an absolute champion. It will be awesome to see him on Friday, and hopefully in good spirits.
Souths CEO Blake Solly spoke highly of what he meant to the club:
“Our members and fans loved what Nathan achieved on the field, and he was always a crowd favourite here.
“Everyone at the Rabbitohs were shocked when his diagnosis was announced, and we were inundated with offers of support.
“Friday will be an opportunity for those fans and members to give Nathan the reception and support he deserves.
“This is our first opportunity to show Nathan how much the Rabbitohs family loves him”.
The club announced a 50/50 raffle to support Nathan and his family with his medical expenses for a chance to win $5,000.
The remaining funds go directly to Nathan and his family.
There will also be a fundraiser luncheon on Friday, the 29th of May at the Wintle Theatre, The Juniors Kingsford, celebrating Nathan's journey and supporting his family.
The luncheon is a chance to hear from Merritt himself, along with past players and coaches, with stories about the winger.
