Newcastle Knights star Kalyn Ponga will return to the field next week after five weeks off due to his most recent head knock, which followed a string of concussions.
The Knights co-captain's playing future was in serious doubt when he was knocked out while attempting a tackle in the round two win over the West Tigers.
Ponga's fourth concussion in 10 months led to the NRL mandating an 11-day lay-off for any player who suffers a head knock.
After the incident, Ponga was flown to Canada for specialist treatment, which involved a brain activity measuring device yet to be available in Australia.
"They used a device called a NeuroCatch," he said.
"It was a six-minute test … at the end of that test, they had data on where my brain is at.
"In terms of my brain, it's good to go."
Back in five-eighth
Ponga said the trip gave him clarity about his return to the field.
"The reassuring thing for me was they said that if I was just a normal person that didn't have the head-knock history, they would say I'm pretty good," he said.
"Just to have that clarity and reassurance … just makes me really confident to play."
Newcastle Knights director of football Peter Parr said the organisation was happy with the results.
"We are comfortable with the objective evidence from our independent testing, indicating normalisation of his cognitive function," he said.
Despite criticism about Ponga being placed in the front line, coach Adam O'Brien will put him back in the five-eighth position in round eight against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville.
"[Lachlan Miller] at the back is doing amazing for us at the moment," Ponga said.
"So I'm keen to get back there and build upon that combination."
Mr Parr said the team had been working on building Ponga's physical and tactical performance.
"I know what my best plays are and I'm still going to run them," Ponga said.
"I'm not going to start changing the way I play.
"It's just about being a little bit smarter with my feet, my head and stuff like that."
Ponga said he was back training with the rest of the team on Thursday.
"I trained with the boys yesterday, which was awesome and I've been doing wrestle sessions and contract sessions prior to that," he said.
"I'm feeling confident, feeling good."
