News of Masoe’s recruitment was music to the ears of Dragons fans last year after several seasons watching their undersized pack struggle against some of the NRL’s bigger rosters.

However an innocuous turn and twist in one of the last sessions of the preseason resulted in a torn ACL that required surgery.

“It was the very last day of preseason so that made it even worse,” Masoe said.

“After doing those three-four months of preseason, to do my knee on the very last day I was pretty gutted.”

Three months on, Masoe is recovering well from surgery and is hoping to make his first appearance for the Dragons in the latter rounds.

“They say six to nine months and six months would bring me to the beginning of August so if I can get a couple of games in I’d be stoked,” Masoe said.

“There’s still a fair way to go in the season but if the rehab guys say I need to take a couple more months or wait til next season I don’t want to risk it.

“It’s getting to that annoying stage where I really want to run but the medical staff have to keep telling me to slow down. I’ve got a program that I have to work to and everyone with type of injury goes through it. 

“I feel like I can come back earlier but it obviously takes time to heal. It feels like doing preseason again but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”