For four months earlier this year, Harri Millard was in the professional rugby wilderness - contemplating whether he'd have to find another profession while dropping into the Welsh Premiership.
Many more like Millard were in a similar boat, seemingly set to fall through the cracks of a failing professional game. Thankfully for the 27-year-old, around 117 days after being released by Cardiff, he was picked up again by the Arms Park side.
"It was a really uncertain time," he admitted after a strong performance against the Bulls. "Four months in the off-season without knowing what I was going to do.
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"I'm just grateful to Cardiff for giving me the opportunity again to showcase what I can do. I just want to thank the coaches for bringing me back in.
"I had to weigh up all my options. It was a bit of a transition. I'm still relatively young and have a few more years in the game. It wasn't a decision I wanted to make really. I still want to play professional rugby for as long as I can. It was sort of scary, but at the same time, you've got to deal with the cards you're dealt.
"Luckily the WRPA were helping us find things outside of rugby if there wasn't a contract. I want to thank them as well for everything they did in the off-season. It was a turbulent time but we got through it.
"Merthyr were an option, but I was in talks with Cardiff as well. The situation in Welsh rugby wasn't great. We just had to be patient and we came to a deal in the end."
In that time, it would have been easy to lose faith, given the ongoing circus of Welsh rugby, but Millard admits he had plenty of backing that kept him going.
"I've got a good support system around me," he said. "As long as I'm mentally healthy and physically healthy, that's all that matters.
"I can perform well, even when I have four months off now knowing when or if I'd get another contract. The support system helped me and kept me physically and mentally ready. So I want to thank them as well.
"Friends, family, my girlfriend and the boys as well. I've been here a while and I'm good friends with a few of the boys. They helped me through it, really."
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On Friday night against the Bulls, he showed exactly why that was a shrewd piece of business - putting in one of his best performances to date after he continues to shine out wide amid Cardiff's wing crisis.
"I felt like I've played well before but I had a few good runs out there," he said afterwards. "A few opportunities we missed out there as well which could have won us the game. But as long as I keep getting as many games under my belt, I'm sure I can come up with more performances like that."
With Josh Adams, Owen Lane, Aled Summerhill and Theo Cabango all out injured, centres like Millard and Mason Grady have been relied upon to line up on the wing. For Millard, it's been a chance to demonstrate his pace - having caused the Bulls defence all manner of problems with several breaks from deep.
When it was put to Millard that just how rapid he was was something of a surprise, he rather sheepishly joked: "You've not been watching me I guess! Or maybe it's more obvious on the wing where there's room.
"I guess I've been working - well we've all been working - on speed in the off-season. There's a bit more space on the wing so I get to use my gas a bit more.
"Luckily it was against forwards! The boys put me in a bit of space and that's all you need as a winger."
And when it comes to the debate over what his best position is, it might well depend on where he continues to perform in the weeks ahead.
"Both I guess," he answered when it came to his favourite. "I'm enjoying playing on the wing. I do like centre as well. As long as I keep performing on the wing, then I guess that might be my position."
