Bayside Titan
15-11-13, 09:24 AM
JAMAL Idris can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
More than four months after his NRL season ended in agony in the Newcastle mud, the Titans centre will go under a surgeon's knife again tomorrow in the final steps of recovery.
Idris, who broke a bone in his lower leg, dislocated his ankle and tore ligaments in a horror injury while playing against the Knights in June, will have arthroscopic surgery on his knee to remove a cyst and have a minor clean-out.
For many, it would be another crushing setback.
Idris, though, who completed his first ball session of the season on Monday after getting the all-clear from medical staff, can see the silver lining.
The operation will be minor after the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee repaired itself, preventing a reconstruction that could have ruled him out of the first two months of the season.
"It was a blessing for me that my ankle did go," Idris said.
"If my ankle didn't go, then I would have done my ACL and that's nine to 10 months, so it's good my leg did break."
Idris should only be out of action for a couple of weeks after tomorrow's operation before returning for a pre-season he hopes can propel him back to the form he enjoyed before his injury.
The Titans' marquee signing in 2012, Idris failed to live up to the hype last year as a hip condition hindered his progress.
But after off-season surgery, the former Test representative was approaching career-best form this year before his nightmare and is determined to regain his mojo.
"It's been nothing but positive for me. I was in a good place, this year, and that's just going to roll on into next year," he said.
"I've come back 5kg lighter than I came back last year, so that's an automatic bonus for me. I'm at my playing weight that I was playing at last year."
Upper body weights and stationary bike riding helped Idris maintain fitness.
The commitment to return to his best came after some dark moments soon after the injury.
"As soon as any athlete has an injury, they have this little mental state where they go through a breakdown and that happened to me," Idris said.
"I had maybe four, five, six weeks when I was down in the dumps and then I pulled myself out and I just looked forward to next year."
More than four months after his NRL season ended in agony in the Newcastle mud, the Titans centre will go under a surgeon's knife again tomorrow in the final steps of recovery.
Idris, who broke a bone in his lower leg, dislocated his ankle and tore ligaments in a horror injury while playing against the Knights in June, will have arthroscopic surgery on his knee to remove a cyst and have a minor clean-out.
For many, it would be another crushing setback.
Idris, though, who completed his first ball session of the season on Monday after getting the all-clear from medical staff, can see the silver lining.
The operation will be minor after the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee repaired itself, preventing a reconstruction that could have ruled him out of the first two months of the season.
"It was a blessing for me that my ankle did go," Idris said.
"If my ankle didn't go, then I would have done my ACL and that's nine to 10 months, so it's good my leg did break."
Idris should only be out of action for a couple of weeks after tomorrow's operation before returning for a pre-season he hopes can propel him back to the form he enjoyed before his injury.
The Titans' marquee signing in 2012, Idris failed to live up to the hype last year as a hip condition hindered his progress.
But after off-season surgery, the former Test representative was approaching career-best form this year before his nightmare and is determined to regain his mojo.
"It's been nothing but positive for me. I was in a good place, this year, and that's just going to roll on into next year," he said.
"I've come back 5kg lighter than I came back last year, so that's an automatic bonus for me. I'm at my playing weight that I was playing at last year."
Upper body weights and stationary bike riding helped Idris maintain fitness.
The commitment to return to his best came after some dark moments soon after the injury.
"As soon as any athlete has an injury, they have this little mental state where they go through a breakdown and that happened to me," Idris said.
"I had maybe four, five, six weeks when I was down in the dumps and then I pulled myself out and I just looked forward to next year."