Wakefield Trinity winger Tom Johnstone admits he is unsure if he will be fit enough to represent England in the Rugby League World Cup this autumn.
Johnstone capped off a remarkable season with a try and the man of the match award in Saturday night’s Super League Grand Final, helping Wakefield become champions of England for the first time since 1968.
Attention now turns to the World Cup for a number of players, with Brian McDermott set to reveal his final squad for the tournament on Monday morning.
But it is seemingly unclear whether or not Johnstone will be involved.
Tom Johnstone casts doubt on World Cup fitness
Speaking in the aftermath of the Grand Final in the Old Trafford mixed zone, Johnstone revealed he has been playing with a number of injury issues in the latter part of the 2026 season.
He will now consult with Wakefield’s medical team and get a detailed analysis on whether he needs to undergo surgery to fix one or more of those problems.
That could end his hopes of featuring in the tournament for England, he conceded.
When asked on Saturday night if he was hopeful of the call from McDermott, Johnstone said: “Yeah, I hope so, but you know, I’m carrying a few things with my body. I’ve been getting patched up week to week in order to get this done and I’ve had my sole priority fixed on this.
“I’ll enjoy myself tonight and then I’ll have a bit of a chat with Matty Crowther (Wakefield’s physio) about whether, you know, we need to intervene and fix some things. So it’s one of them.
“All I’ve had my mind set on all year is England and winning a Super League trophy – but if England is not to be, then it’s not to be because I need to get myself ready for next year.”
Johnstone reveals Grand Final emotion
Perhaps understandably given his deep bond with the club, the Wakefield winger was overcome with emotion on Saturday evening after Trinity’s historic triumph.
A loser at Old Trafford earlier in his career with Catalans Dragons, Johnstone admitted the relief of securing a winner’s ring at last was made extra special because it was with the club he cares so much about.
He admitted: “Obviously along the years it’s become a dream. I’ve wanted it for a long, long time.
“I’ve had to wait for it a bit but the 31-year-old has managed to get it done. I’m over the moon. When I lost here, I watched Wigan celebrate and said, ‘One day I’ll do that’. It’s been a bit mad – the second we did it, I couldn’t stop crying.
“I had the excitement and now it’s just a bit of shock. I’m a bit shell-shocked, really. I’m going through all the emotions.”