On the last day of Dragons' pre-season training for 2015, St George Illawarra coach Paul McGregor provided an update on Dylan Farrell's chronic back injury.
Though adamant the former South Sydney utility had not retired, McGregor didn't paint a pretty picture of the Culburra Dolphins junior and his current health status.
"It's a really sad situation to be honest, a young bloke who is 24 and has had a chronic back injury. We thought giving him six weeks off post-season it would come good but unfortunately it didn't," McGregor said.
"He gave me a call and said 'look I don't think I can play again' so I thought the next step from that was to go and see a surgeon which he did. It didn't get the greatest result so then he went and saw another surgeon and it proved to be the same result."
With his 89-game NRL career in limbo, Farrell's woes go way beyond the football field.
"Unfortunately at the moment, Dylan can't pick up his own children so to play rugby league at this stage isn't in his thought process," McGregor said.
"To be totally honest it's a sad thing because the kid is only young."
Farrell's Dragons career has been impacted by injuries since joining the club last year.
Restricted to six games in first season at the Red V, Farrell tore both pectorals throughout the season and has since played a further 13 games in first grade.
