Former Australia international Joel Monaghan will brace himself for a barrage of abuse when he makes his first appearance for Warrington in Sunday's pre-season friendly at Leigh.

The 28-year-old three-quarter was forced to quit his home-town NRL club Canberra Raiders after eight years as a result of a drunken incident at an end-of-season party.

Monaghan, who played for the Kangaroos in the 2008 World Cup final, went into hiding during November after the publication on the internet of a lewd photograph and admitted he thought it could have cost him his career.

Addressing the British media for the first time at Warrington's pre-season media day, Monaghan said: "It was the worst time of my life.

"I didn't turn the internet on or read a paper for about two months. It was a pretty dark time. The hardest thing was seeing the family dragged down as well.

"My little sister rang me - she'd been sent the photo - and that hurt. It was still about a week until it came out but I was getting phone calls from different people every day.

"In a way it was good that I got to warn the family. I sat them down and rang my grandparents, which was the hardest thing I've had to do. I never slept for a week.

"That first week I thought it could have been it so to get the opportunity to come over here and play with my brother and play in a great team shows there is light at the end of the tunnel."

Monaghan was courted by a host of Super League clubs once he signalled his intention to head to Europe and he was close to signing for Catalans Dragons.

But the prospect of fulfilling a long-held ambition to play alongside older brother Michael, the Warrington halfback or hooker, swayed his final decision and he has a 12-month contract with the Challenge Cup holders.

"We promised dad that we'd play together one day and the big fella never stopped grinning for three days when I told him I'd signed.

"He couldn't be happier and he and mum havealready planned their trip over here this year."

Monaghan, who returned from a Christmas break in Australia to join the Wolves on a week-long training camp in Tenerife, will make his first appearance on English soil in Sunday's friendly at Leigh, along with fellow Australian newcomer Brett Hodgson.

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