Brent Naden is one of the rare NRL players who haven't lost a game all season, but he missed Penrith's only loss in round five because he was in 'fat club'.
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The 24-year-old centre has played 17 games this year and has not tasted defeat.
However, he went home to Wellington during the COVID shutdown and returned carrying more weight than he needed - around 4kg extra.
It only took him a few weeks to strip it off with the help of Panthers trainer Craig Catterick, who runs the brutal 'Cat Club' in afternoons after training.
"My defence wasn't the best against Dragons before the bubble," Naden told AAP.
"Then I came back, I'd been in a good paddock.
"My weight was a bit over so I had to come back through the fat club and lose the weight but once I did that I started working on my defence again with Cameron Ciraldo. He's helped me a lot this year.
"On and off the field, big time.
"I was mountain bike riding which was pretty good.
"Mate, it was tough but it was actually fun.
"I hated it at the time but afterwards I would look back and think, 'that was a good ride'."
The 'good paddock' where Naden spent the COVID break was in Wellington with his grandparents, whom he misses dearly.
He has barely seen his family since the NRL restarted back in May, but they have travelled from the central NSW town a few times since to watch him play.
They were in the stands at ANZ Stadium on Saturday when he was dropped to the bench for Tyrone May to start in the centres - a shock to everyone but Naden.
He didn't get on the field either, and spent the game watching from the bench before wildly celebrating the 20-16 win over South Sydney afterwards.
Coach Ivan Cleary had told him of the plan earlier in the week and asked him not to mention it to anyone, and he kept the promise as difficult as it was to hide from his family.
He has 11 tickets for them all to watch Sunday's grand final at ANZ Stadium.
And should Cleary make the same call to bench him, Naden will take it on the chin.
"I'll bring the energy from the bench," he said.
"I reckon I could run on the field and tackle Kiks (Viliame Kikau).
"I would probably bounce off to be honest but I'd give it my best shot."
Naden has moved around clubs between Penrith, Canberra and Newcastle over the past few years before finally making his NRL debut with the Panthers last season.
And to win a title for the club in any position would mean the world to him.
"If I was going to stay anywhere, I would say Penrith is my second home," he said.
Australian Associated Press
