After two difficult seasons with the Wests Tigers former Melbourne star Adam Blair finally feels settled and happy.
The Kiwi international forward was hailed as the final piece of the jigsaw when he signed from the Storm in 2012 with the joint-venture installed as premiership favourites.
However, his form dipped alarmingly and the Tigers failed to make the finals. It lead to the sacking of coach Tim Sheens in acrimonious circumstances.
Blair was the only Tigers player to feature in all 26 games in 2013 but admits being part of a young side ravaged by injuries affected him on and off the field leading to him being left out of the New Zealand squad for Rugby League World Cup.
But the Tigers have confounded the critics who'd tipped them for the wooden spoon this year and Blair has finally looked back to his best.
" ... This now feels like home, my wife is settled and my little boy is at daycare and that helps with my footy," Blair said on Monday.
"It was hard. I moved down here with my wife and my little one with no family and that was always going to be a challenge and we've only just settled now."
Blair and the team's performances were all under scrutiny in the media last year, as was the future of coach Mick Potter.
And Blair revealed even at home he was unable to escape a grilling about just what was going on at the club.
"It's just me and my wife and there was a lot of things going on in the media and she wanted to talk to me about it, but I didn't want to talk about it," he said.
"But it's how it is when there's only the three of you and the last few years have definitely made us tighter as a family.
"I try not to look back, but I knew if I kept working hard everything would fall into place.
"I am playing as a 13 ... and it helps not moving around positions a lot ... this year I know my job and I think so far I've nailed it."
Also on Monday, the Tigers announced they'd granted Fijian winger Marika Koroibete an immediate release from his contract so he can link up with Melbourne.
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