BEN Currie is showing signs that he may be getting back to his best form.
That will come as a relief not just to Warrington Wolves fans but to the second rower himself after years of injury hell.
He may not have the volume of tries that marked him out as a stand-out prospect prior to his first ACL injury in September 2016 – yet – but his contributions so far this year have been impressive, particularly in defence.
His tally of 237 tackles puts Currie top of the club charts while in Super League as a whole, only five players can better his numbers.
While happy with Currie’s progress after a 2019 campaign that was largely spent rebuilding, head coach Steve Price says it will be “around mid-season” – whenever that comes around – that we see the England international at his best.
Given his displays so far, it can be seen as a tantalising treat for fans.
“We’ve still got a bit to go before we see the best of Ben,” he said.
“I’m really happy with where he’s at but I’ve said all along that it takes a long time to get over the kind of serious injuries he’s had.
“He’s in a good place and he’s playing good football when we need him to be.
“There’s still a few more layers to add to him and I don’t think we’ll see that until around mid-season.”
It is testament to the hard work Currie has put in having recovered from his second serious knee injury – suffered in a Challenge Cup clash with Bradford Bulls in April 2018.
Having asked not to be considered for the Great Britain tour Down Under – a huge personal sacrifice in itself – he came back early for pre-season and even after marrying his fiancé Louise in November, he kept himself in shape on their honeymoon in Jamaica.
It is starting to show now and his crucial chasing down of Hull FC’s Carlos Tuimavave in The Wire’s last fixture before the current shutdown shows he still has the pace he was blessed with.
“He worked his backside off in pre-season and it’s showing now,” Price says.
“Just look at the last game, running down Carlos Tuimavave and running us down the pitch with an interception.
“He really stripped his skinfolds down and that’s reflected in how he’s moving and playing.”
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