While England’s squad basks in the international spotlight, one man is going through a gruelling regime in the shadows.
Ben Currie’s England hopes were cruelly taken away from him at the end of the domestic season, with a torn ACL ruling him out for up to nine months, dashing his hopes of a near certain place in Wayne Bennett’s Four Nations squad.
Instead of showcasing his talents to the world, the 21-year-old is instead working towards full fitness, with an aim of being fit by the time Easter comes around.
Despite the agonising setback, Currie is already working on ways to come back better than ever and insists he still has a lot more to give.
“I’ve done some video with the coaches, which has identified some weaknesses in my game,” he told TotalRL.
“Even the strengths in my game can still get stronger, so personally I think there’s a lot more to come from me.”
One thing Warrington fans can expect to see upon his return is a larger sized back-rower, with the Wolves star aiming to increase his upper body strength as his knee recovers.
“I’ll be doing a lot of bench press and curls to get my upper body bigger. I’ve been wanting to put more size on, so maybe it is a blessing in disguise because I can do that now.
“They said six to nine months, and straight away I was thinking more around the six-month mark. It’s one of these injuries that you can’t really rush back.
“It’s a tough one to take. People had been saying things to me, about how this was my best chance and that. But I know I’ve got many more chances to come in the years down the line and I’m hoping to improve further as a player yet.”
Monday’s League Express will feature a full-page preview on Warrington’s 2017 ambitions.