Matt Dufty is set to answer South Sydney's urgent call, stepping onto the field against his former team St George Illawarra for the first time in nearly four years, specifically 1,421 days.
This momentous occasion coincides with newcomer Leo Thompson's Canterbury debut, as he has finally recovered from a calf injury just in time for the matchup with Parramatta on Sunday.
The agile fullback Dufty holds a NSW Cup contract with Souths, requiring an exemption to play for the injured Jye Gray against the Dragons this Saturday.
At 30 years old, Dufty last participated in an NRL game back in May 2022, having been released mid-season by Canterbury to join Warrington in England.
Upon returning to Australia during the offseason, he managed two trial games with Souths and was seen training at fullback during Tuesday's practice ahead of being named on the team's roster at 4 PM.
This comeback occurs against the winless Dragons, who decided not to renew his contract after the 2021 season, despite his beginnings as a local junior.
"It's funny how it works sometimes," shared Souths halfback Jamie Humphreys.
"He was obviously a Dragons junior and probably things didn't end there the way he would've wanted.
"Probably couldn't get a closer replacement to Jye than Dufty at the moment. They're really similar in the way they play, so much energy and they'll take those tough carries and make the metres that we need."