Vena Patuki-Case makes his NRL debut Saturday after overcoming significant injuries and setbacks during his journey with the Raiders.
On Saturday night, Vena Patuki-Case will become the latest Canberra Raiders player to make his NRL debut, earning his opportunity after years of persistence and injury setbacks.
Confirmed to take the field when the Raiders face off against the Parramatta Eels, Patuki-Case's journey to first-grade hasn't been the easiest and is the culmination of determination, hard work and resilience.
In his first match for the Raiders - after joining the club from the Sydney Roosters - the forward sustained a Lisfranc fracture, ruling him out for the remainder of the season at the time.
After overcoming that, his injury woes continued when he broke his leg and in an extraordinary complication, the titanium plate inserted to help repair his leg also snapped.
The freak incident left his treating doctor stunned, with the specialist describing it as the "first time in 30 years" he had ever seen it happen.