Injured Scott vows to play on in 2019

COWBOYS star Matt Scott has allayed fears a neck injury could cut his career short, adamant post-season surgery will ensure he plays on next year.

Scott missed six weeks of football after the pre-existing issue flared up, but made a safe return in Friday’s last-gasp 20-18 win over Newcastle.

Scott’s presence in the final year of his deal next season will be crucial, with fellow cocaptain Johnathan Thurston about to hang up the boots.

“I’ll get surgery at the end of the year, pretty much exactly the same as I had at the end of 2015,” Scott said. “I’ve had great results from that, so I’m expecting the same this year.

“It’s definitely not careerthreatening or career-ending.”

The prop, who turns 33 today, said the desire to play alongside fellow co-captain Thurston before he retires was the spur to return this year.

“I was disappointed I missed those games and at one stage I was worried I wouldn’t play another game with him,” Scott said. “It was definitely motivation to get back, but it’s my job to play footy for the Cowboys and that was motivation enough.

“It’s something I’ve battled with my whole career. I’m pretty aware of how it’s going and how I need to deal with it.”

Fellow prop Jordan McLean also returned from a frustrating foot injury he suffered in Round 4, and was one of the Cowboys’ best against the Knights, running for 93m and making 29 tackles.

It could have been easy to put the cue in the rack in his first Cowboys season given the club is second-last and fighting to avoid the spoon.

But the club’s big-name signing was also desperate to return and finish a frustrating year on a high.

Thurston was superb in the second half as the Cowboys overcame an 18-6 halftime deficit to record just their fifth win of the year.

“Six games to go and Johnno’s last year is a pretty easy reason,” McLean said.

“I’ve seen lots of stuff about JT this year and the whole team hasn’t been playing that well – it’s not just one person.

“We’ve been having a bad patch this year and to help the boys in the tough times was what I wanted to do.”

In other Cowboys news, Kyle Feldt was named members’ player of the year during the club’s members’ carnival on Saturday.

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