NRL casualty ward: Tom Flegler facing potentially career-ending nerve surgery

Damage to a nerve in his shoulder limited Tom Flegler to just four games in 2024. Now the Dolphins star is facing nerve surgery that threatens to end his NRL career.

Tom Flegler's NRL career is under threat as he looks to undergo further surgery.

Queensland Origin enforcer Tom Flegler will undergo career-saving nerve-transfer surgery and faces up to a year on the sidelines in a crushing blow for the Dolphins.

This masthead can reveal Flegler will go under the knife on his damaged shoulder this Wednesday in a last-ditch bid to avoid premature retirement and return to the NRL in 2025.

The revelation is a hammer blow for the Dolphins as they prepare for Sunday’s last-round blockbuster against the Knights in Newcastle, with the winner to qualify for the finals.

Flegler was Wayne Bennett’s key off-season recruit from the Broncos and the Dolphins were banking on their marquee front-rower to spearhead Redliffe’s premiership hopes this season.

But the Australian Test prop was restricted to just four games this season and has not played since April 6, when he injured his shoulder in an innocuous tackle against the Wests Tigers.

The Dolphins were hoping the nerve damage would eventually resolve with rest but that has not happened.

A minor procedure six weeks ago showed Flegler’s nerve was not completely dead - raising hope of a full recovery - but specialists have since advised the prop to undergo nerve-transfer surgery.

That will happen this week, with Flegler to face a six-to-12 month recovery process. The best case scenario is a return in April, while a longer-term forecast could see Flegler miss the entire 2025 season.

Tom Flegler's NRL career is under threat as he looks to undergo further surgery.

If the nerve-transfer surgery is unsuccessful, Flegler will be forced into retirement at age 25, but the Dolphins remain optimistic the Maroons firebrand will play again.

Bennett confirmed Flegler requires an operation and concedes his career is in limbo.

“Tom will be having surgery,” he said.

“The nerve hasn’t come good so he needs an operation.

“The doctors are confident it can help him, they wouldn’t be doing it if they didn’t think it would help, but it’s going to be a long process and we have to wait and see how it all goes.

“We brought him here for that reason to be one of our forward leaders.

“It’s been tough for Tom ... I’m not sure when he will come back.”

Former Wests Tigers forward Simon Dwyer underwent nerve-transfer surgery on his shoulder in 2011, but never played again, quitting the NRL after just 35 games.

It is understood Flegler’s shoulder damage is not as severe as that of Dwyer and that is giving the former Bronco hope of a return, if not in 2025, then for the 2026 season.

Flegler’s four-year deal is worth $3 million. Should he be forced into retirement, he would receive a full medical payout from the Dolphins that will be exempt from the NRL salary cap.

Flegler has spoken privately to trusted associates about the reality he may not play again.

But the Tully tearaway remains determined to get back on the field and Dolphins medicos say nerve-transfer operations have a promising success rate.

“The worst-case scenario is he won’t play again,” Dolphins high-performance boss Jeremy Hickmans said in July.

“That’s a remote possibility so we can’t beat about the bush, but the hope is that ‘Fleg’ should be OK.

“We’ve seen pretty good outcomes with nerve-transfer operations, but every case is individual.

“This injury is very new, it’s not what any of us have dealt with before, so we’re learning on the run and learning to be patient with it.”

The Dolphins are desperate to get Flegler back on the paddock. Picture: Getty Images

Compounding the frustration for Flegler, he is able to run freely at training and complete gym sessions, bench pressing 140kg, but certain movements affect his shoulder.

Flegler has been keeping busy working on his family banana farm in Tully after being given time off by the Dolphins.

The 100-game NRL grand-final prop is adamant he will be back in Dolphins colours.

“There is still a bit of unknown there which is hard to get your head around,” he said recently.

“I will definitely not be retiring. I will definitely be returning to the field. No matter what I will be playing again.

“It is not common but if you speak to people who have had this injury, there are people who have come back from it.”