“He is looking an absolute picture” – Harry Newman progress delights Richard Agar

Drew Darbyshire

Harry Newman is back for Leeds

Leeds coach Richard Agar has been very impressed with the way centre Harry Newman is “flying” through his rehab on the road to recovery.

The 20-year-old centre was able to run last week for the first time since his double leg break last season.

Newman, who was named Super League’s Young Player of the Year in 2020, has pleased Agar with the progress he is making in his rehabilitation process.

Agar said: “He is absolutely flying in his rehab. He has back running on an AlterG (anti-gravity treadmill) machine.

“I look at him and would say he has still got a bit of a pronounced limp in there but the feedback I’ve had from our high performance guys is that isn’t unusual. Once he gets going you will see the change in him really quickly as he gets towards playing.

“I have to say the kid has been truly magnificent in his rehab. As you can imagine for a young guy who was absolutely at the top of his game and named in the England squad as a 19-year-old – to miss out on a Cup final would have been a particularly tough moment for him because he didn’t get the opportunity to play in that game.

“But the way he has attacked his rehab day by day and the gains he has made in every other area – whether that be skill, upper body he is looking an absolute picture, diet-wise, sleep-wise – he is just hitting all the marks.

“Its not a surprise that his surgeon thinks he is ahead of schedule for a comeback which is terrific.”

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