Matt Gillett's chances of playing in October's Four Nations is in doubt despite the Broncos back-rower's successful return from a shoulder injury on Thursday night. 

Gillett was one of the Broncos' stars in their 12-8 win over St George Illawarra but the incumbent Kangaroos representative admitted his shoulder issues will remain ongoing.

 

 

The 27-year-old hadn't played since State of Origin III and while he didn't have surgery on his shoulder, it remains a possibility at the end of the year. 

"I'm not sure if I'll need surgery. I'll just get through the year and see what happens. At the moment it's going pretty well and hopefully at the end of the year, I won't have to worry about it and move on," Gillett said.

"There's a tendon problem in there. It's deep in the shoulder so I can't really ice it or any of that sort of stuff. I just have to get through rehab and get it strong again. The staff are happy with how it's going so it's looking positive.

"[Four Nations] is a long way away, it's something I'm not thinking about but if I'm fit and well then there's no doubt I'll be happy to do my job there. It's not my focus though," he added.

"I have a job to do here at the Broncos and that's win week-in, week-out and give it a good crack come finals. Four Nations will be a reward at the end of the year if I'm fit and healthy."

 


Gillett was forced into making 50-plus tackles against the Dragons but was pleased with how his shoulder pulled up in the aftermath.

With the Broncos losing four of their past five games – including their past two – prior to their four-point win, Gillett admitted his frustration over being a spectator over the last month. 

"I was pretty happy with the way it got through. It's a lot better than what it was a few weeks ago," Gillett said.

"It was hard to watch. When you're on the sideline you become a fan and you feel the frustration out there on the field. 

"I didn't really enjoy my time watching the boys go through what they went through but it's good to be back.

"I was buggered after the game, and now I know why (after 50-plus tackles)." 

The Broncos sit at sixth on the NRL Telstra Premiership ladder and are still a shot at finishing in the top four. 

However, Gillett refused to be drawn into a discussion over where the Broncos may finish once the regular season is complete in four weeks' time. 

"As a team it was good for us to get that win. We're still a bit rusty but to get that win, we'll hopefully get a lot of confidence out of that amongst the boys," Gillett said.

"That's the most important thing. It was good to be back playing with the boys. To get the result was positive, we're all pretty happy with it. 

"We'll continue focusing on winning week-to-week. That's all we can do at the moment. This one was a step forward, that's for sure."