After a near-death encounter, Premiership winner Zane Tetevano is looking for an NRL lifeline..

Premiership-winning prop Zane Tetevano hopes his comeback to rugby league will allow him to have one last chance to compete in the NRL, having suffered a stroke five months prior.

The former forward for Newcastle, Penrith, and Sydney Roosters will play for the Cook Islands against Papua New Guinea in the Pacific Bowl on Sunday in Port Moresby.

Following his hospitalization during a training session earlier this year, Tetevano’s return to the pitch was far from guaranteed.

The 32-year-old was lucky that the club’s astute personnel recognized the symptoms right away. He last participated in a game with Leeds, a Super League team, in May.

Tetevano said to AAP, “I started slurring my words when I was trying to communicate in the warm-up.”

“Have you been on the piss?” my strength and conditioning coach Rich Hunwicks inquired.

Upon realizing that I was having a stroke, assistant coach Chev Walker noticed that I was kicking my feet.

“They called for an ambulance after attempting to frighten no one during training.” “I can’t be having a stroke,” I thought to myself.