BEN Currie said his new contract terms this week are a timely boost.

It has been tough going for the 22-year-old England second-rower since an operation to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee five weeks ago.

The injury, sustained in the act of scoring a try against Wigan in the Super 8s, ended a second successive outstanding year ahead of the League Leaders’ Shield decider at Hull and subsequent Grand Final at Old Trafford.

“This contract comes as a nice boost,” he said.

“I’m not used to being on the sidelines and there’s plenty more to come before I’m back playing again.

“I’ve got to work hard and reward the club for the faith they’ve shown. And come back fully fit and fully firing.

“From being really active, it’s been the total opposite.

“I’ve been stuck at home with not much I could do. I’m on crutches still and can’t put any weight on my leg. My mum’s been running round everywhere, sorting my meals and stuff to help out.

“One of my mates has been taking me to see the physio. It’s been tough, relying on other people which is not what I like to do.

“Hopefully I’m up and walking soon and I can rely on myself again.

“I’ve just been to physio and the physio said my knee’s the best it’s been. You still can’t see the shape of my knee, but the swelling’s gone down a lot now and they’re really happy with where it is at.

“I think I was in surgery for about an hour and half. The physio went in and watched it all.

“They sorted my ACL out, they put all that back together, and then they did something to the outside – to the lateral ligament – too. So there was a bit more needing to be done when they got in there unfortunately.

“We’ve not got to the point of planning ahead yet. Our target is to get off the crutches and then I can start to do the weights again and strengthen it all up.

“On Thursday we go down to see the surgeon. Hopefully he can give me some news and another goal to aim for as well, whether it’s to start trying to walk again or putting so much of my bodyweight on it, or something like that.

“They say it’s six to nine months out, probably more towards the nine, but I’d rather miss a few more games and come back fully fit than come back too early and go through it all again.

“I’ll be doing everything I can to get back as quickly as possible. I don’t want to miss out too much.”