Tom Flegler's NRL career remains in limbo, but the Dolphins forward has received a much-needed boost after specialists confirmed his shoulder is showing signs of recovery.
While there is still no definitive timeline for his return, the update offers renewed hope that he may yet take the field again, either this season or in 2026.
Flegler has been sidelined for 329 days after suffering what initially appeared to be a minor shoulder injury against the Wests Tigers in April 2024. However, complications soon arose, forcing him to undergo nerve-transfer surgery in September.
The nature of the injury has perplexed Dolphins medical staff and Flegler has been able to train at near full capacity, but any contact remains a significant risk.
Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf confirmed that while the club remains cautious, there are now genuine signs of progress.
โTom has had some positive news,โ Woolf said, speaking with The Courier-Mail.
โThe shoulder is in a positive position.โ
โTalking to the surgeon, the physios and the other medical staff, (the shoulder) is showing signs of recovery.โ
The next checkpoint in his recovery comes in April when specialists will reassess his progress and determine the next steps.
โWe can't get too ahead of ourselves and too excited,โ Woolf continued.
โThey will get a progression report from where his shoulder was in the last test to where it is in April, and then that determines what we can do with Fleg after that to keep it progressing.โ
Flegler joined the Dolphins on a $3 million deal as one of their marquee recruits from the Broncos, but his long-term playing future remains uncertain. If he was forced into medical retirement, his contract would be fully paid out and exempt from the NRL salary cap.
While Woolf acknowledged that Flegler's return could still be months away, he praised the 24-year-old's resilience throughout the process.
โThe challenging thing about his situation is that all other injuries have an end-date, so you have something to aim for,โ Woolf explained.
โTom hasn't got that end-date, so it makes it a real challenge.โ
Despite the uncertainty, Flegler has remained heavily involved in team activities, attending matches and participating in non-contact training, weights and skills work.
โHe has been really good around the group and wanting to do things and be a positive contributor in a lot of ways on and off the field,โ Woolf said.
โTom is an outstanding young man and an outstanding player as well.
โIt's been hard, but we are still very positive about getting a positive result at the end of it.โ
