Warrington Wolves head coach Sam Burgess has confirmed that Luke Yates, who was previously ruled out for the season, will play again this year with the Australian potentially back in less than a month.
In a press conference mainly focused on the fitness of captain George Williams, who will play on Thursday against York and make his return after four months, Burgess offered yet more positive news when he confirmed that Luke Yates will return this year.
Speaking in a presser shared by BBC Radio Merseyside, Burgess was asked about Yates, to which he confirmed: “You’ll see Luke Yates again. Luke Yates will be back.
“He’s not far away. It might be three or four weeks. You’ll see him in the regular season.”
That’s a major boost given the club’s May confirmation that the forward would be out for the year following surgery on his neck, similar to what captain George Williams had undergone.
“He had great news on his initial consultation. He came through surgery really well,” Burgess revealed.
“We’ll see Luke Yates again as well, which wasn’t the initial diagnosis. Great work by all the involved surgeons, the medical team, Yatesy, and he’s managed to get himself in a position. He’s not far away. It’s probably three or four weeks, if that.”
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Warrington Wolves boss confirms Joe Philbin injury
Whilst Yates’ injury news is welcome, news that Joe Philbin will miss two or three matches was not, with the 2027 London Broncos recruit among those omitted from the 21-man squad.
On Philbin, Burgess said: “Philbin is injured, potentially he might miss two or three games. It’s nothing huge, but this time of the year, obviously, it’s important.
“(It’s) something with his foot. Thankfully, there’s no break. There’s a bit of a ligament issue in his foot. It’s nothing too major.”
Philbin was among several to drop out of the 21-man squad with Josh Smith and Kelepi Tanginoa among the others, however, Burgess explained that because of the club’s upcoming schedule – three games in eleven days – they have opted to rotate players.
On Tanginoa, he admitted: “We always had a plan with Kelepi (Tanginoa) not to double him up, so he more than likely will be available next week.”
Sam Burgess facing toughest selection of 2026
As such, selection has been tricky, with Burgess stating: “It’s been probably as tough a week as it’s been to pick a team. We’ve got a couple of guys sort of on ice, a couple of guys sort of returning, so we’re just trying to get that balance right through this period.”
It’s likely that only one of Cai Taylor-Wray and Arron Lindop will play, despite both being recalled, given that they played in the reserves just four days ago.
Hailing the fact the pair got 80 minutes under their belt, Burgess teased: “There might be a little push. Maybe one of them will play and one of them won’t.”
He also spoke positively about the return of unsung hero Sam Stone, adding: “You don’t realise what he does for the team until he’s not playing. He’s a bit of an unsung hero, but the players really respect him. He’s got great positioning in the group. He’s well thought of.
“It’s nice to get him back again, he’s someone who’s not played for so long so we will be mindful of his minutes, but it’s nice to see him back. He’s been training now for a couple of weeks and he’s looking pretty smooth.
