After coughing up blood, dropping 12kg and undergoing open lung surgery, rising Sydney Roosters prop De La Salle Va'a can comfortably say he's been through more than most in his quest to make a name for himself in the NRL.
The 19-year-old made his return to action in the Roosters NSW Cup side on Saturday, three months on from an innocuous hit in a trial game that left the 121kg front-rower in hospital.
