The 22-year-old is fully recovered from the broken fibula that ended his first season at the club prematurely and is now working hard to try and force his way into John Kosmina's plans.

It all went horribly wrong last year, just when it seemed everything was slotting into place for the former New Zealand Knights forward.

Casey told au.fourfourtwo.com: "It was really frustrating. I'd got into the side and we were playing Adelaide United in round nine.

"I got hurt in a tackle and had to come off. I hoped it was just a bad bruise or something but I could feel something shifting in the right leg and knew it wasn't right.

"It was really terrible timing as I felt I'd been doing okay and then a few days later Branko (Culina) left the club and John Kosmina came in.

"Fortunately, it wasn't the case that he was left with an injured player he didn't know. He'd been at an Olyroo camp I'd been at and told me to just do what I needed to do to get back.

"I'm back now and it's a very big year for me as it's the last year of my contract. You want to prove to the coach that you're worth another one.

"There is competition for places at the club but that's a good thing. I know that Kossie is the sort of coach who will go with those who work hard in training and produce. It doesn't matter who you are.

"I just want to play. You play where you're asked and whether that's on the right hand side of a front three or a right wing-back, I don't mind. I was actually starting to enjoy the wing-back role in the games that I played last year."

Casey admits it is a case of the more games the better at the moment though and his next chance for a run out will come at Sutherland on Thursday night.

He said: "These games are an important way of getting match fitness and to really blow away the cobwebs."