The grandstands at Mt Smart Stadium are still rocking from the last time Kiwis centre Iosia Soliola played there.
No lightweight at 1.9m and 99kg, Soliola lined up Ruben Wiki in a regulation tackle as the legendary Warrior launched himself like a missile, late in the home side's playoff victory.
The result? A quick trip to Disneyland and a full reconstruction of his left shoulder which saw Soliola miss the Kiwis' victorious World Cup campaign and left him battling to be ready for the NRL season kickoff.
"It's always fun to go back home, especially last time when I collected that beauty from Ruben. I'll probably be getting the same thing from the crowd," Aucklander Soliola said yesterday.
Soliola, 22, became a Kiwis regular after his debut in 2006, with seven tests until his unfortunate clash with rampaging Ruben - the man he listed as his footballing hero.
It left Soliola as the forgotten man of the Kiwis as they stormed to victory over the Kangaroos in the World Cup final while he began the long road back from surgery on both shoulders, and a hernia operation to boot.
"It was pretty sad but I had two weeks in camp with the [Kiwis] boys and it was all I needed," he said.
"It was such a good camp with such a good feel. It was a shame I had to go out that way, but on the other side of things I wouldn't have started the season this year so I just had to look at the positives."
His injury frustration wasn't over though. Having slogged on the training ground and the gym to be ready, he suffered a fractured eye socket which sidelined him for several weeks.
Roosters coach Brad Fittler named Soliola on the bench to make his comeback against the Warriors tomorrow.
The Roosters cross the Tasman with the same two-win, three-loss record as the hosts after a narrow defeat to Brisbane.
Soliola now has three NRL rounds to reintroduce himself to Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney as he selects his side to face Australia in the much-awaited rematch in Brisbane on May 8.
- NZPA
