Lucas out to turn miracle recovery into premiership glory
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Knights forward Dylan Lucas has outlined the round-the-clock treatment that allowed him to return a month earlier than doctors anticipated from a fractured and dislocated ankle.
The backrower was initially given a 12-week recovery timeline but made a successful comeback when he came off the bench in last week's epic semi-final victory just eight weeks after suffering the injury in late July.
Lucas will retain the bench-impact role for Sunday's preliminary final against the Panthers as Newcastle look to continue their giant-killing run.
The 26-year-old concedes he initially feared his season was over when he suffered the injury but revealed he pushed the medical staff as hard as he could to return during the finals.
"Initially the best-case scenario was 12 weeks," Lucas said. "I was back in eight, and I'm very grateful for our medical staff here and our physios, they put a lot of time into it.
"I was probably on their back a fair bit. Sometimes I can be pretty selfish in rehab. You want to do everything and you feel like everyone else should be doing that for you as well, but they were really good.
"They were working with me, they were happy for me to try other things that I wanted to try, and I was doing everything to try and get that little bit extra. They were on board with that as well and they helped me to get all that sort of stuff."
Match: Panthers v Knights
Finals Week 3 -
home Team
Panthers
1st Position
away Team
Knights
7th Position
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
While the early weeks of his recovery were slow, Lucas took confidence from the fact he is a fast healer.
After undergoing surgery soon after suffering the injury, the NSW forward commenced an arduous rehab routine that initially involved regular ice and massage.
The Lucas star is rising
Eventually Lucas introduced strength training before slowly increasing his running. The final test was a contact session last week where the backrower was tasked with tackling suspended prop Jacob Saifiti.
"Generally with my injuries I have healed pretty well, and I usually do get back a little bit quicker," Lucas said. "In the back of my mind I thought I might be a chance to get back.
"You just never know with lower limb stuff, they can be hard to heal. I thought I'd just give myself every chance, every injury is different, but I was just trying to do everything that I could.
"These opportunities don't come around very often, this is our first prelim in 13 years, so when they come around you want to be able to be a part of them. I was just trying to do everything I could to be in here and give myself a chance."
Lucas' injury came on a horror night for the Knights, with halfback Dylan Brown tearing his ACL in a one-point loss to the Roosters.
The double blow saw many write of Newcastle's premiership hopes, however emerging backrower Francis Manuleleua stepped up and quickly developed into one of the most damaging forwards in the game.
Francis Manuleleua Try
Manuleleua is playing through his own injury pain, the 22-year-old dislocating his elbow in Round 26.
Given the form of Manuleleua and Jermaine McEwen, Lucas has embraced the chance to come off the bench as his side's finals X-factor.
"I'm happy to do whatever Justin [Holbrook] needs me to do at the moment," Lucas said. "I'm just very grateful to be back out there and that my body's healthy.
"Whatever I need to do for the team as long as we're winning, that's what bothers me."
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