Canterbury veteran Raymond Faitala-Mariner has revealed he spent a month bed-ridden and lost six kilograms fighting a particularly bad case of pneumonia earlier this season.
When the forward caught the flu ahead of round 12 in May, the Bulldogs expected him to bounce back and return to the field imminently.
With fellow forwards Viliame Kikau and Luke Thompson already sidelined through injury, they could hardly afford for him not to.
But on a cold day at training as autumn turned to winter, Faitala-Mariner pushed his body too hard and his health deteriorated.
The 29-year-old reported to hospital feeling achy and feverish in the days that followed.
"I did a few blood tests and it came back as pneumonia so I was in hospital for a week," he said.
"I actually thought pneumonia was only for elderly people, until I spoke to the club and they said that anyone could get it."
But the diagnosis was only the beginning of Faitala-Mariner's ordeal - seven weeks passed between NRL appearances as he fought the illness.
"I don't wish it upon anyone," he said.
"I think I lost six kilos being bed-ridden.
"I was bed-ridden for four weeks. Last week was my second game back playing first grade and I could feel it in my lungs."
Faitala-Mariner was lucky to have the support of his partner and his family back in New Zealand, but could have done with a bit of extra love from his Canterbury teammates.
"There was one time the boys came and visited my in hospital and they came empty-handed. I was like, 'Where's the food? At least bring a coffee'," Faitala-Mariner joked.
"But I have a partner who was being a part-time nurse, you could say, coming over and dropping off dinner then heading back to her place."
Faitala-Mariner plays his third game back when the Bulldogs host Brisbane at Belmore, but is still working up to full fitness.
"I'm still pretty light at the moment. I'll try keep my weight this way, I like being light," he said.
"It's more about getting the cobwebs out and getting the kilometres back in my legs. I'm doing a lot of extra training with Trav (Touma, Bulldogs head of performance). I'm not liking it."
Saturday afternoon's game will also double as a farewell for club legend Josh Reynolds after he announced his retirement from the NRL on Monday.
Reynolds, who returned to the club this season after five years away, will play his swan-song in the NSW Cup before a sold-out crowd.
"I still remember when I came over from New Zealand," Faitala-Mariner said.
"My first weekend here, he picked me up in Belmore and took me out for dinner and shouted me dinner.
"That was my first experience of this club being a family club, was through Josh Reynolds."
