Newman set for off-season surgery after playing through pain barrier

One of Leeds Rhinos' leading lights is set for off-season surgery after playing through the pain barrier.

- by Peter Smith

Harry Newman's season ended on Saturday when England lost 30-8 to Australia in the third Ashes Test at AMT Headingley.

It was Newman's first appearance of the series, but he was ever-present for Leeds this year.

Rhinos' preseason begins next Monday, but Newman - along with Kallum Watkins and Mikolaj Oledzki - will be given time off following England duty. And the centre revealed he will undergo surgery to resolve a longstanding issue.

"I'm going to have a couple of hernias fixed up," he said. "It's only a four-week recovery so my off-season will sort that out and I'll be raring to go on the Tenerife preseason camp. I've played the whole year with [the injury], I've had two steroid injections to get me through.