Jackson Hastings has revealed he will likely require a "procedure" later this year to alleviate his lingering leg problem but the Newcastle halfback says it won't prevent him resuming goal-kicking.
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Battling this season with not only ongoing issues from a broken leg last year but also a hamstring complaint in Newcastle's most recent games, Hastings has now gone four matches without taking a shot at goal.
The 27-year-old started the season as Newcastle's first-choice kicker but was forced to hand the role over to fullback Lachlan Miller, who has taken all the conversion and penalty-goal attempts in the past four matches.
Hastings hasn't goal-kicked since slotting two from three against Manly in round five, when Miller took over mid-game.
Miller has kicked 15 goals from 23 attempts this season for a 65.2 per cent success rate. Hastings has kicked at 61.5 per cent but taken 10 less shots at goal, nailing eight from 13.
The best kickers in the game usually trends towards 80 per cent averages and prior to this season Hastings had a career average of 78 per cent.
"I'm still having trouble with my leg from last year," Hastings told the Newcastle Herald, clarifying why he hadn't been goal-kicking.
"I will probably have to have another procedure at the end of the year.
"I won't give too much away. I'll have to get that looked at again. Nothing major, just a little tweak there.
"I had a bit of [hamstring] tightness the last couple of weeks too."
Newcastle had a bye during Magic Round at the weekend.
With 16 days between fixtures, and the players enjoying some time away from training, Hastings was hopeful of resuming the goal-kicking duties as early as this Sunday when the Knights host Gold Coast at McDonald Jones Stadium.
But if it doesn't happen that soon, the experienced playmaker is adamant his leg problem won't hold him back from kicking for too much longer.
"These nine days [off training] will be good for me and hopefully I'll take it over when I come back [from the bye]," Hastings said, speaking after Newcastle's recent loss to Parramatta.
"I just need the time. It's hard with travel and when you've got a broken bone, stuff swells.
"It's been hard for me to be consistent with it.
"I don't want to walk out there and be the hero and just kick, I need to put time and effort into it and I haven't been able to do that.
"I'm not a selfish person, I don't want to be the man - if I can't kick, I can't kick."
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