Super League: Warrington Wolves' Jack Hughes raring to go after hernia injury

After nine months without picking up a rugby ball in anger, Jack Hughes cannot wait to get back out on the field for Warrington Wolves' Super League return.

Having been part of Great Britain's Southern Hemisphere tour last winter, the Wire co-captain missed the pre-lockdown part of the 2020 season due to a hernia injury, which ended up needed two operations.

Hughes is now back to full fitness and raring to go when Warrington take on Hull Kingston Rovers this weekend, although he admits the road back to playing was one of the toughest periods of his career.

Live S/Lge

"It was the first time I've had to deal with an injury which has kept me out fairly long-term," Hughes said. "I've had a couple of bumps and bruises, but nothing too serious.

"I'm not a guy who likes missing games or training, I like being in the thick of it at all times and at times I really struggled with not being out there with the lads and being stuck in the gym.

"I was out there in Portugal on the [pre-season] training camp, but I wasn't doing what I wanted to be doing.

"But challenging times create tough people and the tough times don't last, so we've come through the other side now, we're back into the games doing what we love, and I can't wait for it."

Challenging times create tough people and the tough times don't last, so we've come through the other side now, we're back into the games doing what we love, and I can't wait for it.

The season being suspended mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic therefore proved something of a blessing in disguise for Hughes, allowing him to tailor his rehabilitation to ensure the injury was fully healed for the eventual return to team training.

Being able to spend time at home with his family was a bonus too.

"Personally, I was just fighting to get back fit after missing the start of the season," Hughes said. "It was a chance to slow the rehab right down and put some rest days in between the rehab days, and really take my time with it to get myself back to 100 per cent now.

"From a selfish point of view, the lockdown was pretty helpful for me in terms of I'm not going to miss that many games of the regular season now, but a lot of daddy day-care was put in.

"That was pretty challenging at times, but some of the lads have had it a lot harder than me with home schooling. I'm not at that stage yet, so it was all good.

"I spent some quality time at home with my wife and daughter, and I'll probably never get that much time at home again so I'm appreciative for that, but really glad to be back."

Hughes and his Warrington team-mates were among the keen observers of Super League's restart last Sunday, in particular keeping a close eye on how the new 'six again' rule for certain ruck infringements was implemented.

For his part, the 28-year-old back row is well-aware the change places even more of a premium on minimising handling errors while in possession and discipline around the ruck in defence, as well as testing the fitness levels of him and his fellow forwards.

I spent some quality time at home with my wife and daughter, and I'll probably never get that much time at home again so I'm appreciative for that, but really glad to be back.

"It will come down to discipline on both sides of the ball, obviously controlling the ball with it and not being penalised without it," Hughes said.

"As a team, that's something we're really going to have to knuckle down on. But I'm looking forward to the rule changes, a chance can be good sometimes, but it's going to be hard on the weekend.

"We're still adapting to it. Having the buzzer is going to help, and where there's due to be a stoppage there's not going to be one and you're not going to get the rest you'd usually get, so we're going to have to find different ways to get some air in."