Knee surgery won't hamper Ryan Hall's switch from Leeds Rhinos to Sydney Roosters

Hall announced his exit from Leeds Rhinos to Sydney Roosters, on a two-season contract, in July.

Just three weeks later he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in Rhinos’ opening Betfred Qualifiers game against Toulouse Olympique.

That ruled him out of the rest of this season and ended his Leeds playing career.

The timing could not have been much worse, but Hall revealed he is keeping his chin up and has been boosted by a supportive chat with Roosters’ management.

“Obviously I was quite worried about that before I did speak to them,” he admitted.

“But they did reassure me, which is great and probably why I am in such good spirits about it all.”

The England ace’s try against Toulouse was his 233rd for Rhinos in his 330th appearance.

It was a devastating way to bow out, but Hall insisted he is staying positive.

“I’m all right,” he said. “It is the first really big injury I’ve had.

“In 2016 I broke my ankle and I was out for a large period of the season, but it is a weird one for me now, moving clubs.

“It is not the exit I wanted.

“This club has given some great exits to some great players, like Kev [Sinfield], JP [Jamie Peacock] and Kylie [Leuluai] – and Magsy [Danny McGuire] and Rob [Burrow] last year. Maybe it was a fairytale too far.”

Hall said he has made a conscious decision not to let the setback get him down.

“I am fine with it,” he added.

“I have seen different people go through the same thing and it never works well with people who are doom and gloom. You have to be positive about it.

“Jamie Jones always says it is about your mindset, if your mind is good your body will take after it. If you take a good mental attitude into it you might recover faster.”

Hall will undergo knee reconstruction surgery next week and is hoping to be available for Roosters early in the 2019 season.

Of his recovery, he said: “It is quite a range. I have been quoted six to nine months, but I have heard some people come back quicker than that.

“It is completely down to the individual.

“Hopefully I am a good healer and it is on the sooner side rather than the later.”

Hall is still attending training and “trying to keep in decent shape” ahead of the operation.

Meanwhile, hooker Matt Parcell, full-back Jack Walker and second-rower Jordan Thompson are all set to make their first appearance of this season’s Qualifiers when Rhinos face Hull KR at Emerald Headingley tomorrow. Parcell (ribs) and Walker (hamstring) were both injured in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup semi-final defeat by Warrington Wolves four weeks ago.

Thompson, who was Cup-tied for that game, has completed a two-match ban.

Fellow forward Mikolaj Oledzki drops out.