Kezie Apps says no one, not even Jillaroos selectors or coach Brad Donald, expected her to recover from a knee injury in time to play for Australia in Pacific Championships.
But after proving everyone wrong once, the veteran second-rower is ready to again to silence those doubting Donald's decision to pick her ahead of Olivia Kernick for the Test series.
It was only when Donald called around to Jillaroos players late in the NRLW season that Apps entered selection calculations for the campaign that begins against Papua New Guinea in Brisbane on Friday night.
Wests Tigers co-captain Apps had been sidelined with a season-ending injury to her right posterior cruciate ligament at the time, with Donald mostly phoning for a welfare check rather than to chat selection plans.
At that stage, it was only Apps who felt she might have been a chance to play in the Pacific Championships.
"I don't think anyone else thought I could, to be honest," the Jillaroos co-captain told AAP.
"I gave (Donald) the update with where I was at. He was a little bit shook and surprised that I was at that stage of my injury.
"I'm pretty sure all the selectors thought I was done for the whole season."
Unbeknownst to selectors, Apps had been training twice a day to maintain her fitness and pushing Tigers medical staff to speed up her recovery.
"I wouldn't be able to run or do change of direction until next week, and I was saying, 'Why can't we try this week?'," she said.
"They (Tigers staff) were really accommodating and very patient with me because I was very pushy in trying new things a little bit earlier than I was meant to."
Apps played the first half of the Prime Minister's XIII's 50-0 win over PNG on Sunday, making it through her comeback game unscathed.
"I pulled up really well," she said.
The World Cup winner returns to a Jillaroos side that has spent the week under scrutiny over Donald's selection choices.
Of the five incumbent players omitted from the squad, Apps' fellow second-rower Kernick has generated the most headlines given her recent premiership and Dally M medal.
That has put Apps' selection in the spotlight, especially given her most recent NRLW game came in round three - more than two months ago.
"The selectors obviously had a really tough time," Apps said.
"I know there's been a lot of noise around myself with that but I've just got to focus on myself and focus on the team and do the best that I can when I get that opportunity.
"I'll hopefully do Liv proud as well but it's definitely a lot of outside noise with that sort of stuff."
Apps is hopeful hamstrung utility Lauren Brown, who is remaining in the Jillaroos' camp, will be fit to play later in the Pacific Championships.
"She'll definitely be doing everything she can to be able to wear the green and gold jersey," Apps said.
