The last couple of months have been tumultuous for Curtis Scott as he has battled poor form and injury, but the talented Melbourne Storm centre is confident he will return as a better player.
Scott was dropped for the Storm's Anzac Day clash with the Warriors, after admitting to playing "probably the worst game I've ever played" the previous week against the Roosters.
The 21-year-old was sent back to the Intrust Super Cup for a fortnight with the Sunshine Coast Falcons, ahead of earning a recall for the Storm's round nine demolition of the Eels in Brisbane.
But it was in that match that Scott really felt the rollercoaster of emotions that a rugby league player can endure as he looked to be back to his best, only to be grounded when he fractured his foot late in the contest.
It topped off a rough few weeks for Scott, who had to put up with rumours he was being left out of the Storm side because he was keen to leave the club and return to Sydney.
"I had had a pretty rough week," Scott admitted.
"I had media writing stories about me which weren't exactly true and I had to get back on track with my rugby league.
"The only way I could show everyone how I was going out there and playing good footy.
Scott goes coast to coast
"I was happy with the game I played and It was just unfortunate that I broke my foot. That kind of topped off how everything was going."
The injury is likely to keep Scott sidelined for a further two months, with the New South Welshman only just off his crutches earlier this week and hoping to return in time for the Storm's finals campaign.
And he hopes he will return as a more rounded player, having learnt his lesson the hard way after suffering the ire of veteran coach Craig Bellamy.
"I wasn't playing to the best of my ability and Craig pulled me aside... I think he was testing me to see how I responded," Scott said.
"He gave me a kick up the backside and said 'you need to get back to being competitive again and being aggressive on the field again'.
"It was a good test for me and I handled it well and the right way and I made my way back into the side."
Scott admitted being demoted to reserve grade had been a tough pill to swallow, but playing at the Sunshine Coast Falcons alongside a host of his close friends made it a whole lot easier.
"Cooper Johns, Sandor Earl and Joe Stimson were all up there at the time, so it made it much easier for me to go up there and just have a little bit of fun," Scott admitted.
"It wasn't so serious, and I didn't have anyone on my back or anything and I went up there and played pretty good footy and Craig picked me again."
Scott is now focused on getting back into the Storm side as quickly as possible, with a return at the start of August looking like the best-case scenario.
"I had surgery a couple of weeks ago and today was my second day back at training," Scott said.
"I am slowly getting back into it all and I have been doing a heap of weights... I am doing everything I can to get back on the field."
