The 21-year-old utility player needs ankle surgery and will go under the knife later this week.

He visited a specialist on Monday and received the bad news that an operation was needed.

Ontong told The Herald: "At this stage I am getting an arthroscope, but the specialist also thinks my deltoid is damaged. He won't know how bad it is until he opens the ankle up.

"If that needs to be repaired we are looking at three months. The news has smashed me. You get to a new club and you want to make a good first impression.

"But there is not much I can do. I just have to work hard, do my rehabilitation and put on a Jets jersey as soon as possible.

"I hurt it training with Adelaide at Christmas. I had scans but they showed up clear.

"I arrived in Newcastle with big plans. But once I started training, I lasted only four or five days and broke down."

Coach Gary van Egmond said: "I don't think we can get an injury waiver. And if we could, we would have to promote someone from within the youth squad."