Former Wigan Warriors youngster dealt lengthy injury blow after promising start to NRL career
Former Wigan Warriors youngster Matty Nicholson has suffered a cruel injury blow following his promising start to life in the NRL with Canberra Raiders.
The 21-year-old forward left the field with an ankle injury in Canberra’s 32-20 defeat to Canterbury Bulldogs on Saturday, with scans having since revealed that he will be sidelined for around three months due to a syndesmosis injury and fracture to his fibula.
It comes as a huge blow to Nicholson, who made a strong start to his NRL career with the Raiders, scoring five tries in nine appearances for Ricky Stuart’s side.
Nicholson also boasts an impressive tackle efficiency of 97.2 per cent, with an average of 38 tackles made per game so far, whilst having an average of 78 metres per game.
A club statement read: “Canberra Raiders forward Matty Nicholson will undergo surgery today after suffering a syndesmosis injury and fracture to his fibula. Nicholson will miss around 12 weeks of action.”
Nicholson came through the famed youth ranks at Wigan before making his Super League debut for the Warriors in 2022.
Midway through the 2022 campaign, Nicholson made the switch to Warrington Wolves, where he scored 17 tries in 51 appearances in primrose and blue across three seasons.
The Halifax native pursued his lifelong dream of playing in the NRL ahead of this season, becoming the latest English import to join Canberra, having signed a three-year contract with the Raiders, being reunited with his good pal Morgan Smithies in Australia’s capital.
During his time with Warrington, Nicholson made his international debut for England, winning two caps for his country so far. He will no doubt be hoping to come back strong from his unfortunate three-month injury so he can feature for England when Shaun Wane’s side host Australia in the first Rugby League Ashes since 2003 this autumn.