A moment of ecstasy after 677 days of agony. But this battle continues

3 weeks ago 11

Relishing in the aftermath of his comeback 677 days in the making, Thomas Flegler reveals he will spend the rest of his NRL career undergoing regular rehabilitation.

It has been a harrowing chapter for the former Queensland Maroons enforcer, who just four games into his time with the Dolphins suffered severe nerve damage in his shoulder.

His career was thrown into jeopardy. Unsure if he would ever make his comeback, Flegler went to the lengths of undergoing transplant surgery to keep his hope alive.

But come Thursday night, when he joined the fray at Kayo Stadium to launch the second half of the Dolphins’ first preseason trial against the Gold Coast Titans, it was as though Flegler had never left.

Finishing with 62 running metres, four tackle busts, an offload and 10 tackles for no misses – including one bruising hit that forced a drop out – from his 20-minute stint, the 26-year-old provided the Redcliffe crowd with the perfect moment in what was ultimately a 24-12 defeat.

Charging onto a short ball out of dummy half from close range, Flegler did enough to score his first try since March 10, 2024 – putting the cherry on top of a performance which he hopes is just the beginning of his comeback.

“Hopefully, I punch out a few more minutes next week, I think Woolfy [coach Kristian Woolf] has got a bit of a plan there … and aim towards round one,” Flegler said.

“Being out for so long, it’s going to take a few games to get my confidence back and get my game fitness back, but everything is building nicely.”

While Flegler hopes to work towards Maroons and Kangaroos recalls, he confirmed that constant management of his shoulder is required for the rest of his career.

“I guess after an injury like this, you’ve sort of got to do a bit of rehab for the rest of your career, it’s just something that happens. But as far as the injury goes, we’ve had a really good recovery and are happy with how it all is,” Flegler said.

“I just have to be a bit cautious in and around the gym, maybe a few extras here and there. That [representative football] is obviously where I’d like to get to in the long run, but short term it’s just about getting back on the field, build more minutes and play some good footy for the Dolphins.”

Flegler says he will be managing his shoulder injury for the rest of his career.

Flegler’s comeback coincided with that of Dolphins skipper Tom Gilbert, who lined up in the front row having recovered from a ruptured pectoral that ended his 2025 campaign after round 11.

That setback followed a ruptured ACL (2024) and dislocated shoulder (2023), which had kept him to just 21 NRL appearances in his three seasons in Redcliffe.

Gilbert hinted he was likely to back up in next week’s trial against the Warriors, in what could be another opportunity to share the field with star recruit Selwyn Cobbo.

The former Broncos flyer has undergone a significant weight loss transformation in a bid to restore his career, having long been one of the game’s leading talents but criticised for his inability to consistently showcase it throughout a campaign.

While he was limited to just seven touches on Thursday night, he made them count in the centres – finishing with 71 metres and four tackle busts, while often dragging several defenders with him.

“He was awesome, he’s had a great preseason. The big thing was he got fitter and lost a bit of weight, but his application to his footy has been tremendous,” Gilbert said.

“I think it paid off tonight when it was time for him to have a touch or get his hands dirty, he did a really good job of it.

“I think it [the weight loss] is an ongoing little battle, but it’s impressive to see his work ethic, and he’s taking footy really seriously.”