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Message: [QUOTE="GCBRONCO, post: 2761402, member: 1808"] [URL="http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/broncos/jack-reed-could-be-forced-into-retirement-by-chronic-shoulder-injury/news-story/c8685d7ae93251e7192b8313898ee8ec"]No Cookies | The Courier Mail[/URL] JACK Reed faces a painful fight to avoid retirement with the veteran Broncos centre battling an arthritic shoulder that threatens to prematurely end his season. Reed will miss the clash against Penrith at Suncorp Stadium and Broncos medicos admit they have no idea whether the British Test star will be seen again this year. The 28-year-old is one of Brisbane’s most maligned players but Reed remains the most seasoned member of a relatively inexperienced Broncos three-quarter line. The veteran of 129 NRL games was initially expected to miss four weeks after being a surprise withdrawal on the eve of Brisbane’s clash against Canberra last month. Now the full extent of Reed’s injury woes have surfaced. The rugged centre has previously undergone four surgeries on his battered shoulders but not even a fifth operation can cure the arthritis causing pain in his right shoulder. Broncos strength-and-conditioning coach Jeremy Hickmans said Reed plans to return this season, but can’t guarantee it. “It could be two weeks, it could be two months, we really don’t know,” Hickmans said. “It’s a toss of the coin. “We really hope to see Jack back this year, but I really don’t know where he sits at the moment. He could turn up on Monday and be fantastic, but we might not see him for the rest of the year. “Jack could have another surgery but that won’t fix the problem really because there’s some arthritic issues to deal with.” Reed has been working overtime on rehabilitation during his time on the sidelines. The Bribie Island junior is off-contract next year but if he chooses to play on, either at the Broncos or in the English Super League, he faces playing through the pain barrier. Despite carrying a shoulder injury into last year’s grand final, Reed underlined his toughness with an outstanding performance against the Cowboys in the decider. While Reed has battled shoulder problems for the past five years, Hickmans said he had not raised the prospect of quitting the NRL. “I haven’t spoken about retirement with Jack,” he said. “I had some time in pre-season with him and his reconstruction went really well. He has never spoken to me about retirement. “If he wasn’t a footy player, he’d probably do nothing for a year, which really isn’t an option for an NRL player. “It’s a pain and a function thing which are pretty well linked. It’s a case of how much we can do with him and there is no set protocol as to what he can cope with in this situation.” Meanwhile, Hickmans is confident Reed’s clubmate, Maroons ace Matt Gillett, won’t require surgery on the shoulder he injured in Origin III. “Gillo is good, there is nothing structural there,” he said. “He has irritated the rotator cuff but we’re hoping he’ll be back in a few weeks.” [/QUOTE]

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