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49 minutes ago
St Helens centre Konrad Hurrell says his injury troubles at the tail end of last season can push him on in 2025.
The 33-year-old missed the final three months of 2024 after sustaining a neck injury which required surgery.
Having been given the all-clear to resume playing, he signed a one-year contract to remain with the club.
“I feel a lot better coming into pre-season this year than last year. I was not happy with how I finished the season last year,” he told BBC Sport.
“At the stage I am at right now, I felt a bit stressed about it. Obviously my age and the injury I’ve got, it’s always 50-50 if you’re able to come back.
“But I am glad everything went to plan. At the same time I was stressed about things, I still had a little bit of hope that I could still prove to myself that I could be here. And it happened and I am blessed and I owe a lot to the club for giving me another opportunity.”
Hurrell joined Saints from Leeds Rhinos in October 2021 and won the Super League title in his first season, before scoring a try in their stunning World Club Challenge win over NRL Premiers Penrith Panthers in early 2023.
Going from his successes on the field to being injured was a difficult change for Hurrell to handle.
“There were probably two or three days where I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was in a bad way. I didn’t want to retire yet. I felt like if I did I would be regretting it a lot,” he added.
“The only thing I could control was getting myself healthy again, being around my family. If I am down and being miserable that will give them a miserable life as well.
“I couldn’t control how my neck injury happened or how the surgery went, so I focus on the nicer bits of it and being with my family. The boys were so supportive, and the club.”
