Mitchell Allgood will be ready for anything Steve Matai throws at him when the pair come face to face next week for the first time since the Parramatta prop was sent off and banned for two games after punching the fiery Manly centre.
Allgood was given his marching orders after clocking the former New Zealand Test star late in the second half of the Eels' 50-10 defeat at Brookvale earlier this month.
The incident left Matai with a bloodied face and attempting to chase after the prop - a move that was greeted by a thumbs up from the 24-year-old as he trudged off to the sheds.
Sea Eagles star Kieran Foran said recently he expected his teammate to seek retribution when the sides meet again next Saturday at Parramatta Stadium.
But Allgood, who said he's remorseful for his actions, welcomed the challenge when asked about the claims made by Foran.
"It should be a good game then," Allgood said on Wednesday.
"It's something I'll have to just figure out on the day. I'm not putting too much thought into that at the moment.
"It was just a heat of the moment thing, one of those things that just happens on a football field.
"But at the same time I let my team down by leaving them a man down for the remainder of the game."
Allgood unleashed the punches after Matai charged towards him - visibly aggrieved by what he considered to be the use of a swinging arm by the front-rower on Jamie Buhrer moments earlier.
He claims the incident wasn't personal but more driven from a clash earlier in the season when Brisbane's Josh McGuire unleashed a series of haymakers on him during the Eels' win over the Broncos in round nine.
Allgood was unfortunate to be sent to the sin bin along with McGuire, but he said he didn't want a repeat situation at Brookvale that night.
However, he conceded he deserved to be sent off under the new NRL guidelines on striking.
"But I thought back to that event and he (Matai) came over and got a couple on me first. I didn't want to let that same situation happen again," he said.
"That's why I thought it was a situation where it was hit or be hit.
"Ultimately our team paid the price for that. But I obviously thought there was going to be a confrontation.
"It was nothing personal against Matai. It wouldn't have mattered who was running over in that same situation."
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