THIS story first appeared in Monday’s League Express, and is only a brief excerpt of the full article. To read the whole piece and even more top Rugby League news, click the link to read this week’s League Express.
Castleford Tigers forward Danny Tickle admits he feared he’d never play Rugby League again as his eight-month exile from playing came to an end last weekend.
Tickle made his debut for the Tigers during Saturday’s victory against Salford as a late change for Luke Dorn, who pulled out just minutes before kick-off.
He has not played since last September, when he played for former club Widnes in the Qualifiers, before suffering a serious head injury in an off-field incident which seemed to have halted his career.
However, Tickle told League Express that whilst he was delighted to start playing again, he did wonder during his time away from the sport if his comeback would ever materialise.
“This is obviously an uncommon injury in rugby terms that happened to me, and I’ll be honest, it did occur to me that I might not play again – not just for my sake, but for the sake of my family too,” he said.
“I wouldn’t put myself out there if I didn’t think I was right but as the weeks and months passed I gradually began to feel better.
“Whether I was confident in playing or not, I’ve always maintained that I would put my hand up and play if asked to by the coaching staff.
“I’ve been symptom-free now for so long and my main worry was getting another headache or something like that. I’ve come through everything asked of me though and when Daryl (Powell) asked me if I was ready to lace the boots up again, I was definitely prepared.”
THIS story first appeared in Monday’s League Express, and is only a brief excerpt of the full article. To read the whole piece and even more top Rugby League news, click the link to read this week’s League Express.