Hitchcox feared end due to knee problem

The Australian back played his first Castleford Tigers game since last May in the 16-12 win over St Helens five days ago – coming off the bench to make three try-saving tackles in the second half.

It was a remarkable return for the 26-year-old former Featherstone Rovers man, who had been warned he might have to hang up his boots after being stricken with a rare condition which left him in “excruciating” pain.

Hitchcox admitted there were times he feared he would never play again – or able to reach Super League standard if he did.

“I was pretty nervous,” he said of his return. “It felt like I was playing my first game of footy, it was so long since I’d played.

“I had my doubts if I was going to be up to it, up to Super League standard after being told I might never play again.

“It was surreal, but just to be back out there was a little goal of mine and now I realise I can play again and can compete with the best of them.”

Hitchcox made only nine appearances last season before being diagnosed with spontaneous osteonecrosis – a condition almost unprecedented in people his age.

“It is a rare bone disease,” he explained. “It is more common in women over the age of 70 and there are not many options for it.

“It is called spontaneous because it affects people for no reason – and it doesn’t affect young people. With me being an athlete, the doctors didn’t know what was going on and they said it could take six months, or 10 years or might never get better.”

Hitchcox was given three options and decided to undergo surgery in a bid to save his career.

Of the alternatives, he said: “One would have left me with a metal knee and the other meant I’d have been able to lead a normal life, without sport.

“I took the only option that gave me a chance of playing again.”