Beyond what he saw, if Michael Cheika needed any more insight about James Slipper's readiness to play top-level footy again, he need only have heard a message from the sideline during the Wallabies trial on Friday night.
Midway through the second half at Leichhardt Oval, the radio in the coaches box of the Super selection side crackled to life with a request from the bench.
"Slips wants to go back on. What do you reckon?"
The reply from Super coach John Manenti was "for sure" and at the 63rd minute Slipper trotted back on the field.
The big Queensland prop, who hadn't played rugby for about three months due to a drug suspension, had earlier played 28 minutes of the first half and understandably looked spent when replaced.
This was, after all, a game against the Wallabies squad. Not a reserve grade club outing.
But Slipper found his second wind and by midway through the next half has strode over to his team manager, still keen. He wanted back in.
"It felt good," Slipper told RUGBY.com.au post-match.
"It was a bit of a surprise to be called up here. It was a lot of fun.
"It was physical. Old Adam Coleman got me a good one out there.
"I have been out of the game for a while and I was welcomed back pretty fiercely by him. I am going to be sore tomorrow but it was enjoyable."
The weary smile on Slipper's face spoke volumes after a long stretch of life where the black dog had been a constant companion.
Injury, family heartaches and a self-confessed inability to share his mental health struggles led Slipper down a path of desperation and bad choices.
Two positive tests for cocaine earlier this year saw him suspended and shamed, but Slipper said the intervention was the best thing that could have happened.
He is now getting professional help, has opened up communication lines with his parents and is now ready and willing to rip in on the field; hoping to re-pay the faith of all those he's let down.
In 40-odd minutes at Leichhardt Oval, Slipper began that climb.
"It is kind of funny being back. It feels like my first day at school. I am extremely humbled being here. I don’t take it lightly," he said.
Cheika has been a believer in second chances - and hence the invitation for Slipper to play - but the Test coach in him would have been impressed with the quality of his 2015 World Cup prop's play, off a long spell.
Slipper's tough defence, carrying and sheer physicality in the loose showed why he has played 86 Test matches - so far.
Slipper said it was all about just having fun.
"We knew we were going to go out there and play some footy. We just didn’t know how much footy we were going to get, with such a good team we were playing. Once we got our hands on the ball, it was good footy," he said.
"We scored a couple of tries which we didn’t really think we would.
"Overall I think it was a good outing, especially when the crowd turned up. Hopefully it was a good hit out for the Wallabies to prepare for the All Blacks."
