Fiji beat New Zealand 4-2 in their 2017 World Cup quarter-final, a result Kitione Kautoga watched at home with his parents.
The teams meet again on the Gold Coast on Saturday, with the winner advancing to the World Cup semi-finals.
Kautoga, a Parramatta back-rower, was part of Fiji's side that nearly upset Australia last weekend.
The 24-year-old enters the final 12 months of his Eels contract on Sunday, but says he has yet to reach his potential.
Born in Fiji, Kautoga moved to Australia aged 11. In 2022, visa problems prevented him from signing a new Tigers deal and kept him out of the game for eight months.
"I had visa issues, which kind of set me back because I wasn't able to play or train," Kautoga told AAP.
"I didn't really know what to do at the time, as a young kid all I ever wanted to do was just play rugby league.
"I couldn't really enter the club or anything so I was just doing my own training, doing road runs.
Michael Maguire, then the Tigers coach, regularly encouraged him while he waited.
"Michael Maguire was the Tigers coach at the time and he would keep messaging me and reminding me saying, 'soon, everything's going to work out for you' ... That was the light at the end of the tunnel for me."
Kautoga made his NRL debut later that year, after the Tigers had parted ways with Maguire. Maguire later won a premiership with Brisbane, a State of Origin series with NSW and the 2023 Pacific Championships with New Zealand.
Kautoga said Fiji's 2017 victory showed what the team could achieve as underdogs.
"They had the same thing as us, backs against the wall, nobody really gave them a chance.
"They've got a big pack in the middle but I know the boys are going to be up for the challenge again."