Warrington Wolves star Josh Thewlis has clarified he is currently sidelined following hernia surgery, with his return to action nearing.
Youth product Thewlis, now 24, has not featured for Wire since being forced off during their home victory over Catalans Dragons at the back end of June.
That night, the versatile back’s early withdrawal came after a heavy blow to his ankle, with the Super League club going on to confirm he required surgery.
The assumption from most had been that the operation was to fix the ankle and adductor issues he had been suffering with, but Thewlis has now confirmed that wasn’t the case: and instead he had surgery for a hernia.
‘I’ve actually had a hernia. It’s nothing to do with my adductor and it’s nothing to do with my ankle’
Oldham-born Thewlis has scored 64 tries in 134 appearances across all competitions for Warrington to date having made his first-team debut against Catalans back in June 2019.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ podcast co-hosted by Jenna Brooks and Jon Wilkin, The Bench, he explained: “I’ve actually had a hernia.
“It’s nothing to do with my adductor and it’s nothing to do with my ankle. It’s called inguinal hernia repair.
“I’d had the mesh put in and the mesh came off and damaged some nerves. I had to get that tidied up.
“I was speaking to the surgeon the other day, and it’s actually hereditary. My dad’s had eight hernias.
“We played against Castleford at home (in March) and I stepped off my right foot and thought, ‘that hurt, I don’t know what that was’.
“I thought I needed a groin strap on, but they (the medical team) were saying, ‘no, you’re not having one on, you’re coming off’.
“Ever since that, it’s progressively got worse, and it does rip through the muscle in the end, and that’s what you have to have the surgery on.”
Timeline for return laid out
One-time England Knights ace Thewlis is yet to win a full international cap, with the closest he’s come being the unused 18th man as England thrashed France 64-0 at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in April 2023.
With this autumn’s Rugby League World Cup in his sights, his return following the hernia surgery. is not too far away now.
Having appeared on The Bench ahead of Wire’s home win over Hull KR last weekend, he detailed: “Both ankles are good, I’m pretty good and healthy other than this.
“Four-to-six weeks (out), so that’s four weeks, isn’t it?!
“Sam (Burgess) has already told me it’s four (weeks), not three.”