RYAN SUTTON has put his injury hell behind him as he prepares for a new life at Bradford Bulls.
After spending seven seasons in the NRL following spells at Canberra Raiders and Canterbury Bulldogs, Sutton is back in the UK and in line to make his Bradford debut at London Broncos in Sunday’s much-anticipated Challenge Cup third-round tie.
Sutton initially joined the Raiders ahead of the 2019 NRL campaign and spent four seasons in the Australian capital before moving to the Bulldogs.
But a series of serious injuries – including hip and knee issues – saw Sutton play just 13 NRL matches for the Bulldogs before the forward ruptured his bicep whilst on a train-and-trial deal with Gold Coast Titans.
Now the 30-year-old has opened up on the devastation the injuries caused.
“It was one injury which happened twice. The patella is the hardest rehab you can do of any injury because you lose so much function,” Sutton told League Express.
“I snapped my patella tendon. I did a partial rupture at first, had it fixed and then it failed so it fully went.
“It was 18 months of rehab. I’ve actually got someone else’s tendon in there and not a lot of players can come back from that injury.
“It was a mental slog, I had to see someone about certain things. There were things going on in my head and there was a lot of background things happening at the Bulldogs.
“It was just a really tough situation, I had to use a lot of resilience to keep going but I’m over that now.
“I’ve been loving it over here. We have been training on 4G pitches which is a culture shock because of the impact but I love it.
“I come into training with a smile on my face and that’s all that matters.”