BY BRETT KEEBLE
03 Oct, 2009 05:00 AM
STORM and former Knights winger Anthony Quinn will resume full training after Christmas following a revolutionary neck operation seven weeks ago that saved his career.
Quinn feels "brand new again" after Gold Coast surgeon Matthew Scott-Young inserted two artificial discs at the C5-6 and C6-7 level of his neck to replace the compressed, calcified bones and ease pressure on damaged nerves.
The discs are made of a cobalt-chrome alloy and polyethylene compound and Quinn believed similar surgery could have extended Andrew Johns's career, if it was readily available when Johns succumbed to a bulging disc in early 2007.
"I think this was introduced just after Joey did his. But if this technology and the surgeon who does this stuff weren't around, I would have gone down the path of everyone else and had to retire," Quinn told The Herald yesterday.
"It was either live with it, which I couldn't do; get it fused, which would have meant retiring, because they would have had to do the two levels; or get the double replacement, which pretty much brings me back to brand new again."
The former NSW representative has been a fixture in Melbourne's back line since leaving Newcastle at the end of 2006 but, having worn the No.5 jersey in their past two grand finals against Manly, has been a forgotten man in the build-up to tomorrow's decider against the Eels.
He scored two tries in their 34-8 victory in 2007 but his debilitating neck condition, which began when he suffered a compressed disc and pinched nerve in that game, reduced him to virtual spectator status in their 40-0 loss in last year's rematch.
When his teammates flew to Sydney on Wednesday, the dogged 26-year-old ducked home to visit his family at Redhead, but he will rejoin the Storm camp today.
"I slowly got back throughout last year and everything was going fine up until our semi against the Sharks, when I injured it again, so I was in all sorts in grand final week," he said.
"I only did half a session of training and laid in bed for the majority of the week and played, and that was pretty much it for me."
Apart from his disc problems, Quinn battled Achilles tendonitis this year. When he aggravated his neck at a mid-season training session, he had had enough.
"I got a stinger down my arm and that was the worst I've ever felt. That was it, and I just said, 'Let's get this fixed up,' " he said.
"I knew that was it for me for the year so we investigated the best option, and the only option for me, really, was to get the double disc replacement.
"We knew this technology was out there, and I heard that an AFL player and a rugby union player and [Titans dual international] Mat Rogers all had it done.
"I think my body was trying to tell me something at the back end of last year, with the Achilles and how everything was feeling with my neck. After seven full seasons, it needed a bit of a break, so it was a little blessing in disguise."
Quinn averaged almost 22 games a season in his first seven years at Newcastle (2002-06) and Melbourne (2007-08) but managed just nine this season until he broke down.
"They're going to monitor me for the first four or five weeks of pre-season, then get me back to full-on everything after Christmas to ease me back into it," he said.
Quinn said it was difficult to feel a part of grand final week, but he has been working closely with former Valentine-Eleebana junior clubmate Brett Finch at training and will do all he can to help the Storm secure their second title in four seasons.
"It's the first time I'll be watching instead of playing. Everyone says you're always a part of it, but I don't feel like I'm really a part of it because I'm not playing," he said.
"I've been Finchy's personal stretching partner for the last couple of weeks, so anything the boys need, I'll do whatever I can for them."