Titans forward Ryan James has today spoken openly and honestly about the devastating knee injury that has ended his 2020 season but the 28-year-old has committed to getting through the recovery and vowed to continue his playing career.
A number of reports have suggested that the Biambil junior’s career may be over, but James has squashed all that talk saying he will fight through this and play again.
“Footy’s definitely not over, I’m still only 28 and ready to play on,” he said.
“It’s just one of those things. Life goes on and I’ll come back stronger and better.
“All those initial thoughts (about retirement) go through your head at the start. But we were driving down the road past the stadium the other day and Carter (Ryan’s oldest son) said ‘there’s your stadium, Daddy’.
“I knew then I had to do it, it clicked in my head: It’s not over.
“Carter loves going to the footy and I want them to be able to watch me.”
James went down a week ago at training and will undergo surgery in the next fortnight - surgery that will most likely consist of three operations in one.
“I saw the surgeon on Wednesday and we came to the conclusion that we’ll get surgery done in two weeks time,” he said.
“It’ll be the season out. I’ve done my ACL, will give time for the medial to heal, fractured the top of the fibula and torn part of the meniscus.
“It’ll sort of be three surgeries in one. It’s unfortunate I’m out for the year again. I was disappointed when I first did it but as I said, life goes on.”
It will be a tough year for James watching from the sidelines but he has plenty to keep him busy off the field.
“I’ll do a lot of community work this year, get some study done and focus on the family as well,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate but it’s what comes with footy.
“I just want to see the club have success. Whatever I can do to help this year and then next year I want to get out there and help the club succeed.”
