Former Warrington Wolves man Matty Nicholson has been ruled out long-term as he prepares for shoulder surgery.
The Canberra Raiders man has struggled with injuries since making the move from Super League to the NRL ahead of the 2025 campaign and he made just 11 first grade appearances for the Green Machine last season.
Nicholson was up there with Canberra’s most impressive performers when he was on the field and managed to score five tries, but he was ruled out in May through injury and missed three and a half months of the campaign before returning to action in September for the final two games of the season.
He missed the Ashes as a result and it seems that the England international now has to be considered a doubt for the World Cup as he faces up to yet another big lay-off.
The back-rower is set to undergo reconstructive surgery on his shoulder joint with specialists advising Nicholson to go under the knife. As such, he is looking at a spell of between three to five months on the sidelines in the Australian capital.
However, Canberra and Nicholson will be hoping that the surgery will solve the issue and allow him to finally build a head of steam down under.
It comes after he partially dislocated the joint for the second time time this year while in New South Wales Cup action last weekend.
Nicholson won’t have given up on playing for England in this autumn’s World Cup down under and should he recover quickly, he would stand a good chance of being included in the squad by the new England boss.
England get their World Cup campaign underway on October 17 against Tonga at HBF Park in Perth.
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