Curtis Sironen harbours no fear of the Lottoland turf despite having his 2018 NRL season ended amid a spate of injuries on the beleaguered surface.
Sironen will make a big stride in his comeback during the NRL pre-season after last year having his campaign cut short by a torn ACL.
He has not been sighted since going down at Many's home ground in round four against Canberra and is champing at the bit to get his career back on track.
He was one of five Sea Eagles players to suffer knee injuries at "Fortress Brookvale" over the last two seasons, a casualty toll that prompted the club to commission a report into the surface.
Lachlan Croker also suffered a season-ending ACL injury while Kelepi Tanginoa missed three months after a less-serious ACL problem.
The year prior, Manly's Jorge Taufua and Canberra's Dunamis Lui suffered ACL injuries in the same round 13 match.
For years questions have been raised about the surface with players complaining about divots and potholes.
Saturday's trial against Cronulla was supposed to be staged at Brookvale but it was moved to the Sharks headquarters because of concerns about the pitch's ability to hold up after the Waratahs played their opening Super Rugby game there last weekend.
"It's hard for us to say," Sironen said when asked whether he and the playing group had concerns over the ground.
"It's our home ground and we love playing there. You never know, it could just be a coincidence.
"I don't really want to be thinking about that going into my first game there."
Sironen is now hoping to make up for lost time and has set his sights on reclaiming his mantle as an 80-minute player under new coach Des Hasler.
It has been a long, hard road back for the son of Balmain great Paul Sironen. He resumed running in July and has spent the better part of the last 12 months in the Sea Eagles rehab ward.
"I definitely want to be an 80 minute player," Sironen said.
"It's something I want to work towards over the trials.
"It's just going to be about getting that match fitness. There's nothing like playing, you can do as much running as you want.
It's not until you're out there and you're under the pump and defending your goal line that you get that match fitness."
Australian Associated Press
