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April 28, 2026 \u2014 5:30pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Wallabies halfback Tate McDermott has warned he will return to the field a more daunting prospect than before he suffered a gruesome injury, but admits he remains unclear on when that comeback will be.<\/p>\n Never has McDermott been forced to spend this length of time on the sidelines.<\/p>\n So severe was the hamstring injury he sustained during Australia\u2019s Bledisloe Cup clash with the All Blacks last year, the muscle tore completely from his pelvis and needed to be reattached.<\/p>\n That setback, and further complications with his recovery, have kept him from featuring in the Queensland Reds\u2019 Super Rugby Pacific campaign thus far.<\/p>\n But a glimmer of hope beckons.<\/p>\n \u201cYou probably can\u2019t see it, but I\u2019ve been in the gym for quite a while and have definitely gotten a lot stronger \u2013 the metrics across the board are trending up, the body composition is in a good spot, and the fitness will come with the more running load I can handle,\u201d McDermott said.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cIt\u2019s been a long journey. I remember speaking to media earlier on, and I was really positive with how I was going. But we had a couple of little setbacks \u2026 when it came off my pelvis, they had to staple it back on, and then all the complications with learning to run again and making sure the muscles don\u2019t do too much or too little.<\/p>\n \u201cThe hamstring that I got reattached wasn\u2019t doing what it was supposed to do, but I\u2019m feeling really good now. I still can\u2019t give you an exact date, but I\u2019m hoping to get a game in before the regular season finishes.\u201d<\/p>\n McDermott has been joined in Queensland\u2019s recovery ward by five-eighth Tom Lynagh, who has played just 18 minutes this year due to hamstring issues, illness, and now a calf complaint.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n The 22-year-old had become a leading contender to take the Wallabies\u2019 five-eighth duties long-term when he started in two Tests against the British and Irish Lions before suffering injury and concussion setbacks, with McDermott adamant the pair\u2019s combination was \u201cthe relationship that has to stay together\u201d.<\/p>\n As he sought to make an impact off the field, McDermott revealed he had taken insights from former Reds co-captain and Wallabies skipper Liam Wright, who endured a horrifying injury toll before leaving Ballymore at the end of the 2025 campaign.<\/p>\n As Wright rehabbed his way through eight major surgeries, he sought to become something of a player-coach to the younger members of the Reds\u2019 squad, a role McDermott has taken on board.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cThe goal to come back a better player than when I got injured is at the top of my list. I haven\u2019t been in my suit too often, so the challenge has been doing the corporate suites, to be honest,\u201d McDermott said.<\/p>\n \u201cMy co-captain was injured for the four years that I was with him, and to see what he did when he wasn\u2019t playing, now it\u2019s my turn to try to bear the load a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n McDermott was speaking from Redcliffe\u2019s Kayo Stadium, where the Reds and NRL outfit the Dolphins have joined forces for a \u201ctwo for the price of one\u201d deal, in which families of four can buy tickets for $110 to attend the Dolphins\u2019 Friday night clash with the Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium, and the Reds\u2019 battle with the Brumbies on Saturday, also at Suncorp.<\/p>\n The contests loom as pivotal in the respective sides\u2019 seasons, with the Reds desperately clinging to a place in the top six, and the Dolphins reeling from four-straight losses to heap pressure on coach Kristian Woolf to turn the tide.<\/p>\n Eyes will be on halfback Isaiya Katoa to guide the Dolphins home, with the club\u2019s past two defeats coming in heartbreaking circumstances \u2013 a two-point loss to the Warriors, and a golden-point finish against Penrith.<\/p>\n Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth laughed when asked if he would be trying to keep McDermott and Katoa from speaking too much, given the latter\u2019s background in rugby union with Barker College and past links to a 15-man code defection before signing through to 2028.<\/p>\n But the English strike weapon cut a more serious figure when he stressed that both Katoa and Woolf would be key to the side\u2019s long-term ambitions.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s certainly nothing like that, no talk about that, in our group. We don\u2019t really take much notice of that \u2026 I don\u2019t think we feel the pressure,\u201d Farnworth said when asked if Woolf\u2019s future was on shaky ground, before addressing Katoa.<\/p>\n \u201cIssy was one our best players last year, and he\u2019s taken on a new role [as co-captain] this year, and is talking a lot more. He\u2019s going to be a very key part of the Dolphins in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Tate](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6ef09724000cede46d88a9504da12d7af515e6b8.jpeg\")
Tate McDermott has not featured for the Queensland Reds this season.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Jarome](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777319833_763_08014a2c4b60a752fad6a0ce00c81bdce2a765d6.jpeg\")
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Herbie Farnworth insists Isaiya Katoa and Kristian Woolf will be key parts of the Dolphins\u2019 future.Getty Images<\/p>\n