His representative ascendancy came to a halt when he was sidelined for 18 months including the whole 2001 NRL season. He returned to the field in 2002 and showed tremendous ability to again represent NSW and Australia in a Test match against Great Britain. He was named St. George Illawarra's best player in 2002.
His leadership came to an end when he was sidelined for 18 months, including the entire 2001 NRL season. In 2002, he returned and demonstrated exceptional ability in Test matches against Great Britain. He was named St. George Illawarra's top player that year.