Barnstorming front rower Hayden Jeans is coming off his best season with Southcity but his future remains clouded.
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While he’s locked in for another season with the Group Nine club, a back complaint has him weighing up whether or not he will be able to play in 2018.
The issue limited him in the Bulls grand final win earlier this month.
While he got through the game he was far from at his best as Southcity defeated Gundagai 24-8.
It has been a concern throughout the season and has left Jeans pondering whether to have a year off football to let it recover.
"I haven’t decided yet,” Jeans said.
“I’m just going to wait and see how I go.”
His back first became an issue about three months, but he continued to play through.
It was too noticeable throughout the back end of the season until the grand final.
“The grand final was no good,” he said.
However the 30-year-old ruled out it would be an issue that required any surgery.
“It is just rest there’s no surgery,” Jeans said.
Southcity’s premiership success made it three in a row for the 30-year-old.
He’s been part of the last two grand final wins for the Bulls plus one at Lakes Newcastle before moving to Wagga.
Jeans also took out the club’s best and fairest award on Saturday night.
He thought it capped off another good year with the club.
“It was good and good to win another grand final,” Jeans said.
Southcity official Rod Porter thought Jeans had a massive year for the club.
“I reckon it has the best he’s played since he’s been with us,” Porter said.
That’s even with the back complaint.
“We’ve managed it alright but it come back to bite him towards the end of the year,” Porter said.
“He sorta did his back in the first tackle and done well to actually stay out there as long as he did.”
Porter expects Jeans will play on next year.
“He’s locked in and right to go but it all depends on how his back is,” he said.
While Jeans is in doubt for next year, Porter believes most of the Bulls will retained.
It could be an ominous sign for the rest of the competition.
“Everyone seems to be pretty right,” Porter said.
“There is a couple just to finalise signatures on the line.
“We are pretty content that everyone is going to stay.”
In other results from the Bulls presentation night, incoming captain-coach Kyle McCarthy was named the best back while Tim Hurst was awarded as best forward.
