After missing the last four weeks with a knee injury, Wests Tigers co-captain Russell Packer is set to return this Thursday night against the North Queensland Cowboys.
And while he's excited to be back, he's even more pumped about the prospect of running out at Leichhardt.
It won't be the first time that the Kiwi international has graced the surface of the suburban ground, but it will be his first time there as a local, having recently moved in to the area following his off-season move.
"I got through training today so I've been out almost four games and feeling really good," Packer said.
"I'm really confident of taking the field on Thursday.
"The knee has recovered, and I wouldn't play if I couldn't do my job — it's as simple as that for me. Fortunately my recovery has gone really good and the medical staff here have done a great job.
"I've got the opportunity to play again and I'm looking forward to being able to help the boys.
"But what I'm most excited about," he added, "is being able to run out at Leichhardt Oval for the first time with the Wests Tigers.
"I live in Leichhardt so it's a really short trip for me.
"I really hope it's a chock-a-block crowd and I really want to feel that atmosphere and play as hard we can."
See what Russell Packer had to say in full about this week's game in the video above!
