Gold Coast prop Ryan James’ injury-ravaged 2014 NRL season is over, succumbing to his third shoulder injury of the year.
James will undergo minor reconstructive surgery on his left shoulder early next month.
The 22-year-old, managing to play only three games all season, said he’d made the decision to have the surgery to enable him to be recovered fully in time for the 2015 pre-season.
“I weighed it up and it would’ve taken three to four months to heal on its own … we’ve opted for surgery and it should be fully up to strength by pre-season,” he said.
It’s a disappointing end to a year which began promisingly for James, after signing a new three-year deal with the Titans in January.
No stranger to injury, James battled a serious knee issue and subsequent recovery throughout 2011 and 2012.
“I’ve had a couple of bad years so far so it’s nothing new to me,” he said.
“I’ve just got to work through it.”