This is how much Sia Soliola means to the Green Machine.
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Canberra Raiders co-captain Elliott Whitehead, having spoken with the leadership group, came to coach Ricky Stuart asking for the veteran to play.
It's been a tough two weeks for the Raiders' spiritual leader following the death of his mother Fialelei in Samoa.
He withdrew from the Manly game and could only attend her funeral via Zoom.
Soliola's teammates rallied around him off the field and they wanted to do the same on it.
It was a request Raiders coach Ricky Stuart couldn't refuse, naming him to start at lock against the Sydney Roosters at Mackay on Thursday night.
The Green Machine needs to win to play finals, while also relying on the Cronulla Sharks to lose against the Melbourne Storm.
Stuart revealed the touching gesture when The Canberra Times rang to ask about Soliola's return.
"Elliot and our senior group came and saw me and asked for Sia to be picked in the team," he said.
"I just thought it was a great sign of team mentality, leadership by the guys, with wanting to have Sia play for them through a very tough period with the death of his mother.
"It shows the effect Sia has on his teammates."
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Stuart said Soliola was the nicest fella he's coached, with the Raiders mentor's career spanning 20 years - and included giving Soliola his NRL debut when the pair were at the Roosters.
And it's hard to disagree given all the work Soliola does in the Canberra community.
If he's not cutting his hair to raise money for charity then he's sleeping out in Canberra's freezing cold winter raising money and awareness for the homeless.
That's when he's not up at the crack of dawn serving breakfast to the homeless at the Canberra City Uniting Church early morning centre.
Not to mention the time he came across a distressed woman who'd had her car broken into and drove her around trying to find her stolen belongings.
Stuart said Soliola played the game the way he lived his life - with morals and integrity.
"He's very trusted on the field, he's respected right throughout the competition, Sia," Stuart said.
"He's respected through the fact he is a very high-integrity type of person. He's an individual who can be trusted.
"He definitely plays the game the way he lives his life off the field.
"He's very trusted on the field. You can give him some instruction and you know it will be completed.
"It's the same with Sia off the field. He's a quiet achiever, he doesn't want to get out in front, who will always put people around him first.
"Sia is one of the nicest fellas I've coached. He is the nicest person I've coached in the game in regards to his morals and his integrity."
AT A GLANCE
Thursday: Canberra Raiders v Sydney Roosters at Mackay, 7.50pm.
Raiders squad: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Harley Smith-Shields, 3. Sebastian Kris, 4. Matt Timoko, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. Matt Frawley, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Josh Hodgson, 10. Joe Tapine, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Elliott Whitehead (c), 13. Sia Soliola. Interchange: 14. Emre Guler, 15. Ryan Sutton, 16. Corey Horsburgh, 17. Siliva Havili. Reserves: 18. Sam Williams, 19. Semi Valemei, 20. Elijah Anderson, 21. Trey Mooney.
Roosters squad: 1. James Tedesco, 2. Daniel Tupou, 3. Josh Morris, 4. Adam Keighran, 5. Matt Ikuvalu, 6. Drew Hutchison, 7. Lachlan Lam, 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 9. Sam Verrills, 10. Siosiua Taukeiaho, 11. Angus Crichton, 12. Sitili Tupouniua, 13. Isaac Liu. Interchange: 14. Sam Walker, 15. Egan Butcher, 16. Ben Marschke, 17. Tukupa Hau Tapuha. Reserves: 18. Moala Graham-Taufa, 19. Brad Abbey, 20. Naufahu Whyte, 21. Daniel Suluka-Fifita.