Redesign, rebuild, reclaim.
That was a mantra first uttered by WWE star Seth Rollins upon his return from a lengthy injury layoff in 2016, overcoming a complete ACL rupture to reclaim his throne at the top of the pro wrestling industry.
The same mantra and mindset could be applied to the past two years of Patrick Carrigan's NRL career, with the Broncos lock-forward enduring the same injury in Round 9, 2021.
At the time, Carrigan was coming off a strong campaign for Brisbane and had just picked up their 'Player of the Year' awards, pushing his way to the top of the pile for a spot in the State of Origin squad for the Maroons.
But the injury suffered against the Cowboys brought his representative aspirations to a screeching halt, sidelining the 25-year-old for an extended period.
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Often when players miss six months or more with the type of injury Carrigan suffered, it takes them at least a full season to return to their best football - and sometimes they never do.
But it was Carrigan who bucked that trend completely, returning for Brisbane at the start of last year with more muscle mass, more power and developing into a far more dynamic player, forcing his way into the Maroons side and winning the prestigious Wally Lewis Medal in his first series.
Carrigan has backed it up again in the opening two games of the 2023 series, helping Queensland to an unassailable 2-0 lead and was integral in their 32-6 victory at Suncorp Stadium.
Speaking to The Sporting News following Wednesday night's clash with NSW, Carrigan admitted a more simplistic and relaxed mindset has turned his career around when there were doubts over his future.
“To get an opportunity to be in this team at any point is something that I will forever want to be a part of," he said.
"Doing my knee was a bit of a refresher for me mentally and even physically, just to get some time away and improve my footy.
“I just think I’m enjoying my footy a bit more and just relaxed [since returning from injury]. I put a fair bit of time into my body and watching footy – I used to stress too much in my earlier days when I was a young fella.
"I just love playing footy, it’s what I get to do with my mates and to be able to experience that and get back to the basics, that has been the best thing for me.
"Getting to run out with 17 of my best mates here for Queensland, I won’t be trading that in any time soon."
After rebuilding his knee, Carrigan has redesigned his outlook on football and reclaimed his spot among the best locks in the NRL.
His performances for the ladder-leading Broncos this season have been phenomenal, averaging a career-high 168 run metres per game, as well as producing 20 offloads and making 23 tackle breaks.
Carrigan's first five appearances for his state have brought a great impact, whether it has been coming off the bench or starting in the No.13 jumper, and looks to have cemented his spot under head coach Billy Slater.
And when Carrigan was reminded of the fact that his best football may still be ahead of him and the potential to build a long-lasting legacy in rep football, it brought a wry smile to the face of the laidback southeast Queensland product.
"Man, I hope so," Carrigan told The Sporting News.
"Any time I get to pull on this jersey, I want to do something with it and first and foremost, not let my mates down.
“Bill always encourages us to play our footy and he tells us to back ourselves.
"He’s an unreal coach, it’s sick to be a part of it and to be coached by him, you would run through brick walls for him. I cherish every moment that I get to be in camp and hopefully I get to keep picking his brain.
"This is unreal – I would pay to be part of this stuff and hopefully Bill hangs around to keep picking me. I’ll just jump on the coattails of some of these boys."
With a premiership tilt now at the front of Carrigan's mind after back-to-back Origin success, there are certain lessons he is hoping to take back to the young group at Red Hill.
"The first thing Bill says to bring to every game is your effort and your attitude," he said.
"I think if I can take those things back to the Broncos – if you don’t get out-competed, you will go a long way to winning games… that’s the biggest thing.
“We’re all here [in Origin] because of what the boys back in club land have done for us. That’s a big motivating factor and I have done nothing in a Broncos jersey yet.
"We’ve got a bit to go, we’ve put ourselves in a good position, and club footy at the back-end of the year is where it’s at... hopefully we will be there."
