JACK Johns describes it as "devastating" news that no footballer ever wants to receive.
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In late 2021, the Knights forward developed an infection six weeks after having a shoulder reconstruction.
He had a second round of surgery to clean out the area and was placed on a long course of antibiotics, but the infection wasn't going away.
"They actually told me to sort of prepare for 'you won't play again'," Johns revealed to the Newcastle Herald.
"It was devastating, obviously, but the bigger issue at the time was my health in general, to see how it affected my immune system. It could have gone any which way ..."
The son and nephew of club legends Matthew and Andrew Johns, Jack rejoined Newcastle on a two-year development deal in late 2020.
After a couple of seasons at South Sydney where he made his NRL debut, he returned as a back-rower and bulkier than when he played five-eighth for the Knights in under-20s a few years earlier.
He played six NRL games in the 2021 campaign and looked to be developing into a handy first-grader, but he required the off-season shoulder surgery. He hoped to return in time to complete a decent pre-season, but it went anything but to plan.
"It really knocked me around. I ended up losing eight kilos, I was sitting at about 88 kilos and I was in hospital for three weeks," Johns said of the infection.
"I had a PICC (Peripherally inserted central catheter) line through to my heart for about two months.
"I didn't actually come into the pre-season until January, obviously COVID was affecting at that time too, so if the infection wasn't going to disappear, I had no real choice - I might have had to get all the metal out of my shoulder again and that probably would have been me for the rest of my footy career."
Johns returned via NSW Cup in round six last year before playing NRL in rounds eight and nine, injuring his arm in the latter. But the infection had taken its toll.
"It affected my footy a lot last year and there was a stage where I was maybe going to be forced out, but lucky it dissipated and with the rehab staff here, they really helped me throughout last year to try and get my body back to where it was at the end of 2021," he said.
"I popped a screw out in the plate in my forearm against the Cowboys (round nine). I only took two weeks off from that, but the most important part was missing the pre-season - you're fitness is never going to get to where it should be. I wasn't as fit as I would have liked."
Johns ended up playing 12 reserve-grade games in 2022 and earned a recall for Newcastle's last NRL game.
After a difficult year, he took a break but set his sights on a big summer of training, which he completed without interruption. It paid dividends with the utility forward called upon early this season, playing in three of Newcastle's first six games.
"It was really important for me, when I was fully fit and healthy to come back and have a really good pre-season, I owed it to the staff here. For them to have faith in me last year, it went a really long way for me," he said.
"It's been a long time since I've played both trials ... it's really helped my game as we've entered the season. Even when I went back to NSW Cup it felt like I was getting used to bigger minutes, especially in the middle, and I think it's gone a long way."
Now 25, and off contract at the end of this season, Johns isn't sure where his career might take him. He has plenty of interests outside footy, including music, and is about to finish a Bachelor of Business. The Harbord United junior is just grateful to be back playing and for the club he's always supported.
"I'm really enjoying my footy. I love being around the club. Even when I get put in reserve grade, I really enjoy playing with the young fellas.
"Some of the blokes coming through the grades are absolute champions. Whatever I can do to help them, and the club in general, we'll see where it goes."
Despite his family's significant contribution to the Knights and game at-large, Johns said he had been able to carve his own path in rugby league relatively free of any weight of expectation or extra media attention.
He and younger brother Cooper, a playmaker with Manly, faced off for the first time when the Sea Eagles hosted Newcastle at Mudgee in round five.
"I didn't think about it too much going in ... but once we got out there, I was loving it," Johns said.
"I grew up on the northern beaches, so it was quite good listening to the Eagle Rock when I went out there.
"I was just enjoying it and it was a good occasion for the family."
