"I saw in the paper, it said that I just walked out but that's not the truth; I know what's the truth and my family knows the truth," Nu'uausala said.
"It happened pretty quickly, I didn't realise I was going to get released from Wigan. I came over for Wigan to play Hull, I brought what I needed but then they said they were going to release me.
"I was happy when they said that for my family's sake. It's hard on me not seeing my wife and my son every day.
"It was hard on her [wife Brodee] and I give her credit, she's been my rock. I give a lot of respect to her and all the single mums that do it on their own."
Loading
Nu'uausala's family lives in Newcastle and he commutes back and forth several times a week to juggle training and home life, staying with a friend in Maroubra when he needs to be in Sydney for training.
He's in his third week back at training with the club but didn't play in Saturday's shock 10-8 loss to the Wests Tigers and is still at least a week away from returning, be it through the NRL or the NSW Cup for Wyong.
The New Zealand international joined Wigan midway through 2016 and played an integral role in leading the Warriors to that year's Super League title.
At the start of 2017 he helped the club overcome NRL premiers Cronulla in the World Club Challenge then helped steer the club to last year's English Super League play-offs.
"I felt like my passion for football wasn't really going until I found out I was coming back home, and I found my love again," Nu'uausala said.
"It's just a long season if you play 40 games, [there is] no rest really compared to over here. I played 40 games and mentally I was just fatigued and I needed to freshen up. It was a short break, too, only five or six weeks off and then back into pre-season.
"It was a good experience, though. I enjoyed it, I don't feel like I failed . . . I was lucky enough to win a championship and World Club Challenge over there."
Nu'uausala expected he would have to re-earn his place in Trent Robinson's side after linking back up with his old coach.
"I feel you've always got a point to prove, especially second chance coming back to NRL and coming back to the club where I started off," Nu'uausala said.
"I'm passionate about being a Rooster; even when I played for another club I felt that I couldn't give 100 per cent because I wasn't a Rooster.
"I'm a bit older, heaps of young kids that want to fight for a spot and that's good competition and I like that when my back's against the wall because it brings out the best in me."
Comments disabled
James Buckley writes on AFL for The Sydney Morning Herald.
Morning & Afternoon Newsletter
Delivered Mon–Fri.
[contf] [contfnew] 
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
