Sydney Roosters grand final hero Shaun Kenny-Dowall will not resume full training with the NRL premiers when they start pre-season training on Monday.
The Roosters return to the training field 43 days after their 26-18 win over Manly in the premiership decider with Kenny-Dowall still sidelined after suffering a broken jaw early in the game.
The 25-year-old centre drew comparisons with South Sydney great John Sattler for playing a large part of the game with the injury which was operated on two days after the grand final.
Kenny-Dowall produced one of the finest games of his career despite the injury and scored a converted try in the 60th minute that put the Roosters ahead 20-18 and from that point they were never headed.
According to the Roosters, Kenny-Dowall's recovery has gone better than expected but he will still not be ready to resume full contact training until the new year.
"SKD will return on a lighter load than the rest of the returning NRL squad and not engage in any contact drills until the new year, but has progressed better than first thought since breaking his jaw," read a statement on the Roosters website.
The former Kiwi representative will join 16 of his teammates who are away on World Cup duty, as absentees from the Roosters' first day back.
With the Roosters set to begin their bid to become the first side to secure back-to-back premierships against arch-rivals the Rabbitohs on March 6, after their World Club Challenge clash with Wigan at Allianz Stadium on February 22, incredibly premiership captain Anthony Minichiello remains unsigned.
As does forward Luke O'Donnell, another key member of their grand final winning team.
However the Roosters say they are confident of signing both players for the 2014 season.
The Roosters' grand final opponents also begin pre-season training on Monday with unsigned winger David Williams likely to attend after going AWOL following the Sea Eagles' defeat in the decider.
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