Retiring Cronulla winger Luke Covell says the revolutionary knee surgery that extended his NRL career will change the game's injury landscape.

Suffering what would in the past have been a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear in round four this year, Covell became the first NRL player to undergo ligament augmentation and reconstruction surgery (LARS).

Ten weeks later he was playing football again and Covell says it allowed him to decide to leave the game at the time of his choosing.

"I was lucky enough to get a second chance to be able to come back and play and I've been able to finish on my terms," the 28-year-old told reporters on Tuesday.

"If I didn't finish on a good note it would be pretty disappointing."

The one-Test New Zealand international says his pioneering role in showing how quickly he could recover from the serious injury will change rugby league.

"It's great for the game, it's great for all sports ... the quick turnaround," he said.

"The physio and the doctor, they were the ones that were really amazed in just how quickly it was recovering and what I was able to do so quickly.

"Teams that might lose their superstar early in the season to a knee injury, they're not going to lose them for the rest of the year now, they can get them back for the finals.

"It's already taking off."

The procedure was first used in Australian elite sport on Sydney AFL player Nick Malceski.

Covell will head home to the NSW north coast at season's end and continue to test out his knee playing for the Murwillumbah Mustangs as Cronulla eye Penrith's Brad Tighe and South Sydney's former Shark Colin Best as his replacement.

He will play his 150th NRL game this weekend and said the tough times at the Sharks had taken their toll.

"That's quite possibly why the body feels like it does, just because everything's been so mentally tough week in and week out," said the NRL's 2008 highest pointscorer.

"Although I'll miss it, it will be good to get a break from that."

The times have been tougher for forward Jon Mannah, though, who has worked his way back into the NSW Cup after suffering lymphoma.

The Sharks will dedicate Friday night's Cancer Council Call To Arms Round match against the Sydney Roosters to 20-year-old Mannah, who is in remission and is hopeful of a return to the NRL before the end of 2010.

"I know definitely inside me that there's plenty of improvement to go and, whether I get a shot this year or next or whenever it comes, I'm certainly keen to have a go and it's certainly one of my goals," he said.

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