Injured Wests Tigers playmaker Adam Doueihi doesn’t want to put an exact timeline on when he might return from his third ACL tear, but the Lebanese international is quietly optimistic he’ll be back playing by July as he continues to tick off significant milestones in his recovery.
There was a flat feeling around Accor Stadium last season when the talented 25-year-old landed awkwardly and stayed down in the final 10 minutes of a game against the Eels on April 10, with everyone at the venue hoping it wasn’t what it looked like.
But scans confirmed the worst, with Doueihi suffering his third ACL tear, with this one set to rule him out for 12-16 months after surgery.
“It’s always tough, especially being my third one,” he said almost 12 months after he signed a one-year extension for the 2024 season.
“I know just how physically and emotionally draining it can be on you through the rehab process, so you do have some days where you’re by yourself and you overthink stuff in your head.
“But I’ve been really good this time around. I know what to expect and I know what it takes to come back.
“I’m about 30 weeks post-op and I feel like I’m getting better every week.
“As long as I keep winning every day and every week, I know there’s a clear path to me getting back and returning to my best footy.”
The Tigers star has been running for two months and trained away from the main group on Thursday morning alongside John Bateman, who had minor clean-out surgery in the off-season.
“I’ve had no hiccups on the field and I’m just taking everything slower and more relaxed this time around,” Doueihi said.
“Everything is going to schedule and it’s looking good.
“It’s massive for any rehab player when you start to tick off these goals.
“When you suffer a long-term injury like I’ve done a few times now, it does help when you tick off those hurdles like starting to run again, changing direction and doing reactive stuff.”
Doueihi has played just 87 NRL games in six seasons and is due some luck, with the versatile playmaker showing just how good he can be with nine tries in 2021 before he injured his knee against Cronulla.
That kept him out for roughly 10 months, but there’s no way he’ll be back so soon this time around, with Doueihi willing to play it safe if it lessens the chance of doing any more damage.
“I haven’t looked at any game where I might return,” he said.
“We’ve been talking about a mid-season return around July.
“Whether it’s earlier than that or not, I’m not really fussed because I just want to make sure that I do everything I can to make it 110 per cent strong because this is the third time I’ve done it.
“I want to make sure I come back knowing there’s no reason it should go again.”
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