Braydon Trindall has broken his silence after he pleaded guilty to charges of drunk driving and failing a roadside illicit substance test at the end of May.
The Cronulla Sharks five-eighth was hit with a breach notice by the NRL and missed several weeks of football as he faced police charges in April.
It is understood at the time that Trindall blew an alcohol reading of 0.125 and tested positive for recreational drugs following the club's victory against the North Queensland Cowboys.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald for the first time since the incident happened, Trindall vowed that it would never happen again and expressed remorse to the club as they stood by him.
“It won't happen again,” Trindall said.
“We've gone over that and it's been dealt with. I'm continuing to work on myself in the background.
“I've definitely come out the other side as a better person for it. I want to repay everyone that's supported me by playing some good footy.”
The incident couldn't have come at a worse time for Trindall, who was having a breakout season in Sharks colours and earned the Preston Campbell Medal for a best-on-ground performance in the annual All Stars clash.
Trindall added that coach Craig Fitzgibbon has been a massive help during the tough period in his life but confirmed that he expressed disappointment in his actions.
“He's [Fitzgibbon] been awesome,” Trindall said via the publication.
“He supported me the whole way. I just want to repay him. I just wanted to focus on [what was happening] and getting through that first.
“But I'm feeling good [now]. The boys showed a lot of support. It's good being back and I'm keen to work hard for them.”