St George Illawarra Dragons halfback Drew Hutchison can’t wait to lace up the boots for the first time this year when he runs out for Illawarra this Saturday afternoon at UOW Jubilee Oval, Kogarah.
Hutchison – who injured his ACL before Christmas – said that while the many months of rehabilitation have been tough, he has no concerns about a return to the field.
"I don’t think I would play the game if I didn’t think I could," Hutchison said.
"I’ve had seven to eight months to work on myself physically and prepare for a comeback game this year.
"That started from the very beginning when I was in here the day after surgery getting physio."
While Hutchison said he couldn’t wait to get the all clear to return to training, he admits that the medical staff made sure he wasn’t doing too much, too soon.
"As soon as they told me I could start training on the field, I just wanted to do everything," Hutchison said.
"[The medical staff] has been really good in pulling me in and telling me I have to do things the right way rather than going out and getting re-injured again."
After winning an Intrust Super Premiership and State Championship with Illawarra last year, Hutchison says he has been keeping a close eye on their 2017 campaign.
"I go and watch (Illawarra) quite often," Hutchison said. I’ve got a couple of close mates that play in that side."
“It’s unreal some of the speed and skills they have. It’s probably going to make my job a lot easier this weekend in terms of playing them into space.
"Hopefully we get a few wins in a row and make those semis again."
