'We’ve got to make sure I'm fully right': Boost for Leeds Rhinos as Jack Walker nears long-awaited return

Walker missed the whole of last season because of a foot injury and damaged a hamstring in April, nine games into this season.

He has not played since and it has been another long road back for the 22-year-old, who was a Grand Final winner in 2017, but the end is now in sight.

Walker who has been named in Rhinos’ initial 21-man squad for Saturday’s game at Hull, said: “I’ve just got maybe one or two boxes to tick off, to make sure I am 100 per cent right.

“I don’t want to come back and feel 90 or 95 per cent and have that risk of injury again, so we are 100 per cent making sure I am fully right and ready to go when I am back playing and I stay back for good.

“I tore my hamstring, but there was a little bit of a tendon issue involved and you have to be really careful with those, because if I came back too early I could end up like [teammate] Harry Newman, having an operation and it could be three or four months.

“With the injuries I’ve had previously, we’ve got to make sure I am fully right.”

Walker has had no ill-effects from the foot injury which wrecked his 2021 campaign.

He added: “The thing with that is having the confidence to be able to step off it, accelerate, things like that.

“That comes with time, but my foot has been really good.”

Walker, who sustained a fractured skull playing junior rugby a decade ago, admitted the current layoff was “tough to take at first”.

“I thought I had done what Harry Newman had done so it was season over again,” he added.

“When I got the news it wasn’t as bad as that there was a little bit of relief there.

“I was still gutted it was two months, but I have been through worse.

“I can handle it, it’s fine - I’ll just come back better and stronger.”

Walker’s main concern now is getting back on the field and having an injury-free run for the rest of the year.

“I thought I was getting back to my old self,” he recalled of his form before the current setback.

“Then the hamstring went, but even if I play 15 games, I wanted more, but I’ll still be happy with that after such a long time out [last year].”

Walker is Rhinos’ number one, but his return will give Rhinos’ coaching staff a welcome selection headache with Zak Hardaker - who is the man in possession - and Richie Myler also competing for the full-back role.

Walker said: “It is what it is.

“Zak’s playing really well and if we are winning with Zak at full-back, then I am happy with that.

“I will keep pushing Zak and it will only make him better and vice versa.

“I like competition, it helps me be a better player and pushes me in training.

“I don’t really mind, I’d love to play week-in and week-out, but if Zak’s playing well it’s for the better of the team.”