Yet when Knights hooker Isaac De Gois rolled the dice in Newcastle's most important game of the season, gambling on a dodgy left knee in their qualifying final against the Bulldogs on September 12, he threw snake eyes.

Nursed through the team's preparation after taking two knocks in their 35-0 shut-out of Penrith six days earlier, De Gois lasted less than two minutes against the Dogs.

His knee collapsed when he charged in to tackle Ben Hannant, he hobbled around helplessly, then headed to the sidelines knowing he was gone for the game and the season.

Five weeks into his recovery from reconstructive surgery, De Gois said he would take the same action if faced with the same circumstances.

"Obviously the worst thing that could have happened did [happen], but that's footy. I took a chance and it backfired on me, but I passed all the fitness tests and did everything that was required, so if I turned back time and did the same thing, I'd still play," De Gois said.

"All the boys understand that and no one came up to me and said I shouldn't have played, so that was good.

"Obviously I was in shock when it happened.

"I'd done a half-hour fitness test the day before and I didn't feel anything at all.

"For it to happen straight away, obviously I copped a knock straight on the same spot. How often would that happen in a game week after week? I'd done a pretty physical activity before the game to see if I was right and I didn't feel a thing, but like I said, that's footy, and you've just got to move on."

De Gois saw renowned knee surgeon Merv Cross 10 days later, and within another 48 hours he was in the operating theatre having his partially torn anterior cruciate ligament reattached to the patella tendon.

Since the surgery, he has had regular physiotherapy and done a series of basic exercises even as he enjoyed a two-week Hawaiian holiday.