Chris McQueen is hopeful he can return to full fitness by Christmas after revealing surgery on his neck last Friday was successful.

Gold Coast second-rower McQueen had spine surgery to fuse and replace two discs in his neck and won’t play again this NRL season.

Heading to Wests Tigers next year, the former Queensland representative thanked the Titans from his hospital bed.

“It breaks my heart to realise that I will not get to wear a Titans jersey again,” he wrote on Instagram.

The Titans host the Tigers at CBus Super Stadium on Sunday afternoon and must win to remain in NRL finals contention.