Sheffield Eagles prop Steve Thorpe is back in full training following his broken leg in last year’s Qualifiers defeat at Widnes.
The Australian forward was one of the standout stars in the Championship last year and was nominated for the competition’s Player of the Season award in the League Express Readers Poll.
Head coach Mark Aston has revealed that Thorpe could be fit to feature in Sheffield’s Championship opener with Workington on February 7th.
“He is back in training and he is doing most of pre-season,” Aston told The Sheffield Star.
“His fitness is very good which we expect; he just has the next barrier in front of him now.
“It is only four months (since the injury), but we expected a six-month absence, so he has another important month ahead of him, but I don’t think he will be far away from being fit for the beginning of the season.”
Aston’s squad has also been boosted by the arrival of Papua New Guinean pair Mark Mexico and Garry Lo. Aston said: “Both of them will add massive things to this squad.”
Aston is still hoping to add a halfback to his ranks before the start of the season, but has been impressed with how former St Helens junior Dave Hewitt has settled in at the Eagles.
