Gloom and doom has gone
HULL KR’S DEAN HADLEY ON SURGERY WHICH WILL
HULL KR utility-forward Dean Hadley says he feels better than ever after his post-season surgery and is ready to start afresh in 2023.
Hadley is ready to finish the rehab stage of his comeback and get back onto the field as he looks to impress new coach Willie Peters, who has spoken about the importance of having players like the back-rower in his squad.
Peters is a huge fan of Hadley’s passion and work rate and will be relying on his experience to help the younger members of Rovers’ side.
After suffering a dislocated shoulder in the 15-10 victory over Wakefield Trinity in July, Hadley was limited to just 14 appearances in the 2022 campaign.
However, the operation he under- went has hopefully sorted out the recurring issue for good, with the player hopeful of avoiding missing any further games with the problem.
“The operation went really well,” Hadley told the Mail.
“I had the same one last year, so it was easy to know what rehab to do and go through the same process.
“I learnt some stuff from doing recovery in 2021, which has helped me this time around.
“I’m feeling really positive now, and that doom and gloom has gone. I have fully focused on getting this shoulder sorted, and I’m not that far away.
“Last year’s op was just a repair, *but this time around, I’ve gone through the Latarjet procedure, so they moved a tendon from my chest into the front of my shoulder to tighten it up and make it solid.
“It takes a while to get a good range of movement, but I’m here now and I am so optimistic this can help me for the rest of my career.
“I’m training fully just apart from contact, but I should be doing that by the end of November once rehab finishes.” Hadley also spoke about his excitement ahead of next year and praised Peters’ recruitment
drive.
Although the forward knows he faces stiff competition for his place in 2023, he remains confident of keeping his place and knows he has plenty left to give the Robins as he heads into his fourth full season in Red and White.
“I think we’ve recruited really well and kept the nucleus of the side,” added Hadley.
“For any team to be successful, we need competition for places and we have that now. We saw in 2022 how many injuries a team can have.
“I know people like to name their strongest side, and they might not see me in that for now. But after I have a good pre-season, I believe I have a lot to offer.
“The challenge for me will make me thrive under pressure. I need to get back to full fitness first, but I am so confident in my ability and what I want to achieve here at Hull KR.
“I have a lot more to give this club and hopefully under Willie Peters, I can.”