Newcastle veteran Danny Buderus keen to finish career on a high note Newcastle hooker Danny Buderus is determined to finish his career on his own terms. Picture: Liam Driver Source: The Daily Telegraph HE'S had two back operations in the space of a few months and is risking more surgery if there is another relapse but Danny Buderus says the passion and desire to end his career on the best possible note has never wavered. On the eve of his return from an 11-week stint on the sideline against Gold Coast on Sunday, the veteran Newcastle Knights hooker has revealed he would have viewed it as a failure if he had given into retirement because of his back dramas. "I want to finish on a good note," Buderus, 35, said yesterday when asked about his motivation to keep playing. I'd see it as failure to finish on this note, having this hanging over my head. One of the game's great modern day hookers, Buderus' swansong season has so far been cruelled by injury. It started around Christmas last year when he first suffered a debilitating disc problem in his back. After undergoing surgery, he recovered to play in two games early in the season only to be forced out again by a relapse which required more surgery and an even more lengthy stint on the sideline. He is aware a third operation would instantly end his career but he is willing to take that risk to play a part in the Knights' quest for a play-offs berth. "I'm not out to prove anything," he says. There is always risk but the medical advice I've got and the people that I trust said I've got the all clear to go. I feel fine. I've just got to get over the white line and play because at the moment, you are in but you're not. Once I get a bit of contact and the adrenalin starts going, then I'll be OK. While the Knights have lost six of their last seven games to tumble out of the top eight, Buderus says he knows what the side is capable of. "I've got belief in the place and really want to be a part of something,"he says. I'm not coming back here to be a part of a squad that hasn't got any hope for anything. We've got some big aspirations and we want to feature at the back end of the season. Buderus says that his side's next two games are crucial. "We've got the Gold Coast then it's up to Mackay for the Bulldogs going into a bye," he said. If we can whack out six points, that would be nice for us and get us into a commanding position.