WARRINGTON centre Toby King has received a big thumbs-up from big brother and former Wolves teammate George as the countdown to his testimonial match against Leigh continues.
George, the 29-year-old Huddersfield and Ireland prop, has had surgery on a fractured and dislocated ankle sustained during pre-season training and will miss the Super League round-one meeting between their sides in Yorkshire on Sunday, February 16.
But he hopes to have made sufficient progress on a potential five-month recovery trail to be present at the Halliwell Jones Stadium to support Toby, 28, when the Leopards visit on Saturday, February 1.
The siblings started playing as juniors in Meltham, near Huddersfield, and were in the Giants’ youth system before being snapped up by Warrington in 2012.
While George had moves to Wakefield in 2019 and Hull KR shortly before the end of the 2020 season before his close-season switch to Huddersfield, Toby has stayed with the Wolves, having loan spells at Huddersfield in 2022 and Wigan in 2023.
He has regained a regular Warrington berth under Sam Burgess, and played 27 times last season, scoring twelve tries.
Those appearances included the Challenge Cup Final defeat by Wigan at Wembley, where he helped the Wolves beat St Helens in the 2019 showpiece.
He has made 164 Warrington appearances, scoring 64 tries, and was granted a testimonial by the RFL in October.
“I’m made up for Toby, both to have got himself firmly back in the frame at Warrington, and to have earned his testimonial,” said George.
“It’s well deserved for all the dedication and commitment shown over the years, and I’m sure Warrington fans will get behind him.
“I have to see how things are going with the injury, but if it’s at all possible, I’ll be there.”
Warrington will visit Halifax on Sunday, January 12 for former player James Saltonstall’s testimonial, and host dual-registration partners Widnes the following Friday, January 17.
Their first competitive match of the campaign will be in round three of the Challenge Cup on the weekend of February 8/9.
