First he broke his arm. Then his Rugby League World Cup dream was shattered.
But Brisbane prop Korbin Sims reckons he can now see the benefit of missing out on a fairytale ride with Fiji due to the fracture.
Sims is eyeing an early season comeback for the Broncos after returning to training this week, almost fully recovered from the arm injury first suffered against Parramatta in August.
The Broncos enforcer appeared to have overcome the break after joining Fiji's World Cup squad in October, only to be ruled out on medical advice before playing a game.
History shows the Jarryd Hayne-inspired Bati went on a giant killing Cup run, taking out former champions New Zealand before being overwhelmed by eventual winners Australia in the semi-finals.
The joy of watching Fiji's success, featuring his brother Ashton, almost made up for the disappointment of missing out on it - almost.
"It was disappointing I didn't get to play in the World Cup," Sims told the Broncos website.
"But it meant I got to come back to training earlier and begin working on my game for next year.
"It's travelling really well and feeling really good.
"I really tried to rest it the last month, to not doing anything and just let that fracture heal."
Sims admitted he wasn't surprised by Fiji's stellar Cup campaign, saying it was exactly what the team claimed they wanted to do when they first got together.
"Well we wanted to make the final and win that and we went very close but we came up against a very strong outfit in Australia," Sims said.
"All credit to the boys, they really ripped in. They had a really strong World Cup campaign. They can really hold their heads high."
Brisbane will need Sims - currently sitting on 99 NRL games - at full fitness in 2018 after losing Kiwi international Adam Blair to the Warriors.
Meanwhile, the Broncos have announced they expect to send a full strength squad to their final trial hit-out - a February 24 clash with reigning Queensland Cup champions PNG Hunters in Port Moresby.
Brisbane open the 2018 NRL season away against Ben Hunt's St George Illawarra on March 8.
