'I've done everything possible': Leeds Rhinos' James Donaldson ready for play-off return

Donaldson is in contention to make his first appearance since July when Rhinos visit Catalans Dragons for an elimination playoff on Friday.

With second-rower Rhyse Martin suspended, Donaldson’s availability might be crucial and the Cumbrian, whose early career was marred by knee problems, went the extra distance to ensure he would be ready.

“We waited a week to see if it would settle and it didn’t,” he recalled of his injury.

“We tried a number of surgeons we usually use up north and all of them were away on holiday and couldn’t operate until the following week.

“We were struggling to find someone to do it, so I decided to have a look online myself. I did some research and rang a guy down in London, called Andy Williams.

“He normally has a full diary because he does 17 of the 20 Premier League clubs and doesn’t often take on new people.

“But I told him my past history and I needed to be back in four or five weeks, for the play-offs.

“He rang me back half an hour later and said ‘I’ll see you tomorrow at 11am. Me and Jason Davidson [Rhinos’ team manager] got a train to London the following morning, I saw him at 11, they operated at 1pm and I was back home in bed in Leeds at 10 o’clock.”

Donaldson added: “I was grateful Andy could get me in so soon and he was a great bloke as well.

“He put a time frame of four weeks after he operated and I was available for selection for the Castleford game last Saturday.

“I’ve done everything possible to get myself right. I really want to thank the physios - Jonny [Skinner] and Trent [Bowden] - and Rich Hunwicks [performance director] for all the work they’ve done with me, they all did a great job making sure I was available.

“The only thing I didn’t have was, I had only trained with the team once and done one on-feet fitness session in five weeks.

“I will continue to work on getting fitter and stronger and you never know what might happen.”

Donaldson admitted he was “gutted not to play last week because I’d done everything I possibly could to get myself right, at training and away from it”.

He said: “I was available, that was the main thing. We didn’t know what position we’d be in, we could have had more injuries. If they needed me, I could play.”

As well as his being a key member of Rhinos’ pack, Donaldson has also become the club’s milkman, after his mum and sister launched a new business from the family farm in Cleator Moor.

Moos on the Moor produces flavoured whole pasteurised milk which has proved a huge hit with Donaldson’s teammates.

“A lot of the boys love them,” Donaldson said. “Rhyse Martin especially - every time I go up there he drops me a message saying ‘any chance of a chocolate milkshake’?

“I think I’ll be getting told off by the fitness staff before too long - the boys might be putting too much weight on with the full-fat milk - but it is going brilliantly at the moment.”