He hardly raised a sweat all off-season due to a chronic knee condition – but Josh Dugan was painfully close to playing for Cronulla in Round 1, according to ex-Cronulla captain Paul Gallen.

There were serious fears over the 29-year-old’s rugby league future after he refused to train in the summer months.

Sharks officials investigated the possibility of medically retiring the former NSW and Australia star, who is contracted until the end of 2021, as he complained of chronic knee pain.

The club and player were at loggerheads over the severity of his injury before scans revealed arthritis in his right knee.

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After learning he didn’t need surgery, Dugan was sent to Papua New Guinea with a young Sharks side in an ambassadorial role for last month’s trial against Canterbury.

He returned with a new mindset and Gallen revealed the former Canberra and St George Illawarra back has made astonishing progress after resuming training.

“Josh Dugan has not trained better (than) this week … at the club in the last three years, or two-and-a-half years,” Gallen told WWOS Radio.

“He was non-existent at training throughout the pre-season, I won’t deny that, and he’s admitted that.

“He’s had a sore knee, he said he can’t train, and he hasn’t trained.

“But he went to Papua New Guinea a couple of weeks ago with the team and from all reports he was absolutely loved over there and he did enormous things for the community over there.

“… He’s come back to Cronulla and has just left no stone unturned and has been absolutely outstanding the last two weeks at training.

“I said to him on the field yesterday, Monday, I said, ‘Duges, you’re looking that good you could play this week’.

“And he said to me, ‘Mate, I just need to get a few more high-speed metres under my belt’.

“He hasn’t run flat out at all, so he goes, ‘Once I get a few high-speed metres under my belt I’ll be back’.

“But he’s back full training and he’s looking real positive for Josh Dugan at the moment.

Dugan was not named in John Morris’ side for Saturday’s season-opener against South Sydney at ANZ Stadium, with Will Kennedy to star at full-back.

Asked if reports his former team-mate could return for the Round 2 clash against Melbourne are accurate, Gallen replied: “That’s not far-fetched whatsoever.

“… Obviously if he goes straight back to full-back, you’ve got to remember the full-back does more running than anyone on the field, not only during the game but during the week.

“So you need to have that good base underneath you.

“He needs to get another week of running into him and hopefully he’s back by Round 2, but as I said he was certainly looking really good as of yesterday.”