After injuring his foot during the Four Nations final last year, Rotorua's Dean Whare is now injury-free and ready to fire for the Penrith Panthers during the 2015 NRL season.
Whare played for the Panthers on Saturday during their pre-season match against the New Zealand Warriors at the Rotorua International Stadium.
He said it was his first match back in his hometown of Rotorua since he was a kid.
"Yeah it is probably the first time I have played in Rotorua since I was about 9-years-old, so coming back here and playing in front of my family is a pretty good honour."
The crowd numbered just over 9500 spectators for the pre-season game and Whare said a good percentage of them were his relatives.
"I got about 60 tickets [for the game] and I think there was about 120 here and that's only half the family," he said. "So there was a few of them out there."
Whare was part of the Kiwis team which won the Four Nations title last November, and he injured his foot in the final against Australia.
"I tore a bit of a ligament in my foot but it is all good and is all healed up now and ready to go."
He said he was now looking forward to a big season with the Panthers.
He said the whole Penrith squad was wanting to build on their success from last year which saw them make the NRL semifinals. "Yeah definitely, we are trying to make it as good as last year."
Whare grew up in Ngongotaha and moved to Australia about the age of 10 to live with family.
Whare started his NRL career at Manly - where he scored three tries on debut (against the Cowboys in 2010) - before signing with the Penrith Panthers for the 2013 season.
The 25-year-old has since made the centre position his own at the club and he had a great season in 2014.
During the pre-season match on Saturday, Whare lined up next to winger and teammate Robert Jennings.
Both Robert and George Jennings started on the wings for the Panthers and are younger brothers to Sydney Roosters star Michael Jennings.
"Robert is the youngest one but he is the biggest out of all the Jennings brothers. He is just out of high school and a big boy and a great talent."
The Warriors won the pre-season match on Saturday 18-4.