“Not much anyone can do about it. Lachie gets the opportunity now to play first grade with the Knights after having a pretty good year last year. He deserves every bit of it, I am so happy for him.

“It’s obviously been a tough couple of days, but now that I’ve got my head around it we can plan for what’s next. I feel a lot better.”

Dykes will be in good hands during his rehabilitation. His father, former Sharks playmaker Adam Dykes, enjoyed a successful career after overcoming a raft of knee issues.

“I’m not sure if he’s done an ACL, but he’s had a meniscus and patella, had all of those problems,” Dykes said.

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“I’ve been speaking to him a bit each day. He’s been checking in with me and giving me tips.

“He’s been great for me, he always wants to help. I’m living at home so I will be around the house getting as much help from him as I can.”

There has been plenty of support from elsewhere. A slew of players, particularly those who have come back from knee injuries, have reached out to the rookie custodian.

“It’s actually been a crazy couple of days; I’ve had so many people messaging me,” he said.

“A fair few from the Sharks here, who have been in a similar boat. Especially Wado [Wade Graham], Connor Tracy, Toby Rudolf and Cam McInnes – those four guys have been through the same thing and been with me a bit.

“They are checking in on me and making sure I’m all good, if I need a hand with anything.

“It definitely wasn’t the birthday present I had in mind.”

Kade Dykes

“[Dolphins playmaker] Sean O’Sullivan messaged me, Fa’amanu Brown from the Bulldogs, Jayden Brailey from the Knights.”

Dykes is planning to study during his sabbatical in a bid to use his rehabilitation time productively.

“I’m looking at nine months minimum,” he said. “The medical staff are saying that I will be 100 per cent ready to go for the start of pre-season this year.

“That’s a positive to take out of it, I won’t be chewing into next year’s prep.

“I’m feeling a bit better now that everything has settled and I know the plan forward. I’m looking forward to getting the op done and ripping into my rehab and getting back on the field.”

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