TOKYO — LUKHAN Tui will return to rugby a stronger person.

That’s the opinion of Test teammate and good friend Samu Kerevi, after Tui opted to withdraw from the remainder of the international season last month.

Tui was involved in an ugly scuffle with an angry Wallabies fan following their first home Test loss to Argentina in 35 years on the Gold Coast last month.

The hard-running forward had to be pulled away by teammates and staff after grabbing the supporter by the throat.

In the dressing sheds immediately after the incident, Tui told teammates he needed time away from the game.

The incident occurred just days after his stepfather passed away and since then Tui has taken on many of the parental responsibilities of his family.

Tui’s withdrawal from the rest of the year had raised fears he might take an extended period out of the game, but Kerevi eased those concerns on Tuesday.

“I think he’s pretty hungry,” Kerevi said.

“He misses the footy, but his priority is his family and that’s really important for him at the moment.

“His little brother needs him and his little sisters need him.

“Him being at home is probably the best thing for him right now, but he is training the house down and he is looking fit.

“He is really hungry for next year.

“Every time I talk to him he just wants to win a Super Rugby title right now.

“After that is Wallabies duties and that’s a good thing to hear from your lock or six.

“I am pretty excited by that aspect.”

For anyone, the loss of their father is a devastating blow.

But at 22, that loss is even harder.

Yet, even at this early point, Kerevi said he’d seen a new found maturity in his teammate.

“I see a lot of change in him,” said Kerevi of Tui.

“It’s a really sad situation but, for me, he has grown up as a person.

“He’s that major role in the family and he’s always been that.

“I know rushing off after training he goes to pick up his little sister or when we are playing basketball he will bring his little brother — who is probably going to be bigger than him when he grows up.

“He has stepped into that role and it’s easy for him.

“It’s still a hard time for the family dealing with the loss but he has the whole community back in Brisbane that are really supportive of him and his whole family in Sydney.

“The most positive thing that has come out of it is him.

“I feel like he is going to be an awesome leader for the Queensland Reds and even at the Wallabies he already has that aura about him.

“Moving forward he is going to be really good for the young guys because he is still young.

“Having him with that mentality where he is a bit older and a bit more mature in that decision making he has to do now will only benefit him in the long run.”