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Wallabies and Western Force flanker Richard Brown has finally received some good news after a frustrating couple of seasons.
His recovery from reconstruction surgery on both shoulders is ahead of schedule and he is on target to start in the Force trial games in February.
And he has signed a new deal with the club. While it has not been officially announced, Brown has signed a two-year contract after protracted discussions with the Australian Rugby Union.
Brown was devastated when he missed the World Cup to have surgery on his right shoulder, dislocated in the opening round of the 2010 season. Surgeons discovered that the shoulder was fractured.
He also decided it was time to fix a long-standing injury to his left shoulder.
"I'm feeling really good," Brown said. "It's hard to describe what it was like before the operations.
"You get used to carrying injuries but once they get fixed you realise how bad it was. You realise what sort of poor condition you were in.
"For two years I haven't been in good enough condition to play the way I wanted. That was frustrating.
"After games I would spend the next four days icing the shoulders and not being able to do too much.
"It makes a huge difference to find yourself almost 100 per cent fit.
"I've always had a dodgy left shoulder. Most blokes carry some kind of injury and I thought if I was going to get stuck in, I'd get stuck in and get them both done."
Brown had the operation on his right shoulder in July and the second six weeks later.
He expects to be ready for trials against the ACT Brumbies in Darwin on February 4 and the Queensland Reds at nib Stadium 12 days later, with an ultimate aim of getting back his Wallabies jumper.
"That's the grand plan," he said.
"I just want to put in a good season and make sure the Western Force has a successful season. After that we'll see what happens. The Wallabies is a long way off."
Brown was forced to sit out five games after damaging his shoulder in the opening round of 2010. At that time it was thought the injury would repair itself without surgery.
He went on to play 15 matches, 13 in the starting side, as he notched up 50 Force appearances.
Brown had a major scare in 2009 when he was struck down with the life-threatening, antibiotic-resistant golden staph superbug after ankle surgery.
He spent seven days in hospital after contracting the dangerous infection after a relatively minor operation to remove a piece of bone.
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