The knee injury that ended Josh Hodgson‘s career for Canberra just one match into the 2022 season could actually be a positive for the hooker, according to Brad Fittler.
Hodgson is set to join Parramatta on a lucrative two-year deal which kicks in next season, having been with the Raiders since 2015.
Speaking to the star forward’s legacy in the nation’s capital, Andrew Johns said the Englishman had been influential in attracting other English players such as Ryan Sutton and George Williams to the club.
“He’s been a great player. An absolutely great player,” he said on Wide World of Sports’ Freddy & The Eighth.
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“He was great to watch,” added Brad Fittler.
“I imagine in the future there will be players that look like Josh Hodgson – we’ll say, ‘geez he looks like Josh Hodgson’.
“He had a style a bit different to everyone else’s, you know, he got out and ran, great kicker, good ball player, really strong in defence.
“He was the first one to really master ripping the ball out.”
This is Hodgson’s second major knee injury after rupturing his ACL during the 2020 season. Before that he was one of the best hookers in the NRL behind Immortal-in-waiting Cameron Smith.
When asked if the Eels made the right decision to sign Hodgson in place of the departing Reed Mahoney, Fittler said the 32-year-old’s history of injury was not disastrous, but could actually be beneficial.
“I’m happy,” he said.
“He’s got a long time. These days the recovery with science, technology, the whole lot, I think it’ll be good for him.
“He’s got a long time off before he has to play again and I think you can really taper his whole rehab around that.”
Johns disagreed.
“I’d be worried,” he said.
“I worry about how he’ll recover from this, that’s two [knee injuries] in two years.
“He’s getting older, two knees … forward is one of the most important players on the field because they handle the ball the most, the first pass is so important.”
With several key players exiting Parramatta at season’s end, Hodgson will become a crucial figure for the club as it proceeds to refill its stocks with younger players.
Stream the NRL Premiership 2022 live and free on 9Now.
With 138 NRL appearances under his belt and experience at the international level, Fittler believes the deal is still worth its value.
“I like getting some experience going in there,” he said.
“You look at all their outside backs, they’re pretty young.
“I still think it’s a good buy.”
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