Newcastle Knights forward Brodie Jones will return to the club's NSW Cup side following foot surgery in March, resulting in a two-month recovery stint.
The Cessnock local junior will start at lock as he begins to fight his way back into Justin Holbrook's NRL side following the resurgence of the Novacastrians in 2026.
When speaking with the Newcastle Herald, Jones revealed the frustrations that came along with being sidelined from an injury right at the start of the season.
"The bone in my left foot that they took out was in pieces so it now feels a lot better than it did," Jones said to the publication.
"Being out has been frustrating mentally so it's been a real challenge but it's great to be back."
Jones remains off-contract for next season, which could potentially see him leave the Hunter if an opportunity to continue his NRL journey arises.
Although the 28-year-old forward also has a back-up plan if injuries continue to trouble him, or if he is left without an NRL contract for 2027.
The Newcastle Herald is also reporting Jones is a handy golfer and plays in his spare time outside of the paddock. It could be an option for him to explore the sport professionally when he eventually hangs up the boots in the future.
"Yeah, there is a potential pathway there in golf that's been spoken about," he added.
"We'll see. The body is a bit banged up but I want to give the Knights everything I've got for the rest of the season first and then see what happens footy-wise before I worry about anything else."
Following his NRL debut with the Knights in 2020, Jones has gone on to appear in the red, blue and white 88 times, crossing the white line on seven occasions.
