St Helens captain Matty Lees shares injury recovery update after frustrating season

After his season-ending injury back in May, St Helens’ captain Matty Lees has shared an update on how he is recovering.

Lees, 28, had to watch on from the Premier Sports studio as his England teammates beat Papua New Guinea 34-12, a margin of victory that likely was not enough to keep them in the World Cup.

The St Helens prop would have certainly been in the 23-man squad had he been fit with Lees one of England’s standout forwards, something that he has showcased across his 12 test appearances.

Lees was one of several players unavailable for selection on account of injury, with his season ended back in May after he suffered a knee injury in the Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to Wigan Warriors.

That injury occurred as a result of what St Helens labelled a ‘freakish collision’ with Lees undergoing season-ending surgery in the aftermath of that injury. It marked his second knee injury of the season with the Saints skipper having also been out for a number of games following a blow in the Challenge Cup win over Workington.

Matty Lees shares injury update with St Helens’ return looming

St Helens offered no timeline for when Lees would return outside of confirming that his season was over and that it was expected he would make a full recovery – something which the prop forward has now spoken about when appearing as a pundit on Premier Sports’ coverage of the Rugby League World Cup.

“It’s going really well, thanks,” Lees said when asked how his recovery was progressing.

“I’m getting there with the rehab. It’s been a long process but I’m getting to the end of it now.

“I’m back up and running and looking forward to it.”

St Helens, like all Super League clubs, will start their pre-season efforts in the coming days and weeks ahead of the 2027 season – the fixtures for which it’s expected will be revealed at the end of November once a decision has been made on the competition’s structure.

The 2027 season will be Lees’ last in a St Helens’ shirt with the pro having already signed a deal with the PNG Chiefs for 2028. The prop forward’s next appearance in the Red Vee shirt will mark his 200th for the club.