Tuimavave steps up pre-season training
HULL FC have got a big boost as Carlos
Tuimavave has taken another huge step in his recovery.
The 30-year-old centre ruptured his Achilles tendon at Catalans last June but he is now ready to run on grass for the first time since the injury.
It’s been a long rehab cycle for Tuimavave who still has a way to go, but running without the use of an anti-gravity treadmill or the like is a massive step forward for him.
Naturally every precaution will be taken until he is ready for full pre-season training, with the message from all the coaching and medical staff being longevity. However, there was no hiding the delight from Tony Smith with another key member of his squad closing in on a return.
“He’s very close to running on terma firma,” Smith told the Mail. “He’s been working on the Ultra G stuff which is the anti-gravity treadmills. He was working up to 75 per cent before he goes on grass.
“We’re really pleased with his progress and he’s coming along well. We can’t wait to have him and all the other players back and at their best, that’s for sure.”
Tuimavave was the third Hull FC player to suffer a ruptured Achilles after Josh Griffin and Joe Cator.
Griffin, who did his in June 2021, returned in round two last season, whereas Cator agonisingly ruptured the tendon again in his comeback game at Leeds in March.
However, two months further down the line than Tuimavave, Cator has come back into training and is progressing well with his positive mindset and energy. The mood with injuries across the board is positive, with the majority of the squad in training.
One notable absentee so far has been Andre Savelio, who, and like Jake Trueman who has the same injury, has been recovering well after a ruptured ACL ended his season on Good Friday.
He’s ready to return once he gets over a mild illness that’s kept him away from the University of Hull so far, and he’ll be joined by two of the club’s new signings.
“Andre has had a virus for the last couple of weeks,” Smith revealed. “He’s had to keep away from us.
“He has been under the weather so he hasn’t had any contact with the rest of the players. He will join us in the next day or two or by the end of the week. It will be good for him.
“We’ve also got Brad Dwyer and Liam Sutcliffe joining us today as well as Jordan Lane. That will be a boost for us all.”