AFTER spending most of the winter months in rehab following surgery on his ankle and shoulder, Alex Walmsley just can’t wait to lace up his boots again.

Following a storming 2015, which saw the big prop named in the Dream Team and shortlisted for Man of Steel, injuries struck in the closing weeks of the campaign to wreck his international hopes and put a dent into his off-season.

The cancellation of last week's Swinton friendly means that the season will start without Walmsley getting an run-out under his belt, and coach Keiron Cunningham was giving serious thought about whether to keep the big man on the sidelines as a precautionary measure.

Walmsley said: “I have had a few operations to get a few things right. At the back end of the year I picked up a few injuries and needed a bit of work on my shoulder, so it’s been a long, frustrating off-season.

“I did not get much of a break, and have been in rehab from 7am-5pm every day – long, lonely days which make it a tough four months.

“I missed out on a lot of the team training trips – up to Cumbria and down to Plymouth with the Marines.

“But I have heard all the tales and seen all the videos so maybe that was one of the lucky sides of being injured pre-season.

“Fair play to the boys, they have had a tough pre-season and have trained hard.”

Walmsley’s injury, sustained just before the end of the season and then antagonised in the Super League semi-final defeat at Leeds, was so bad that it would have kept him out of the Grand Final had Saints won.

As frustrating as it is, Walmsley takes this occupational hazard on the chin.

“That is just the pitfall of injuries in rugby league, it is how it is.

“We have a world class medical staff at Saints and can’t speak highly enough about the way they have got me back ahead of schedule," he said.

"It was disappointing to go out like that. To miss out on England too was hard – watching those boys go and do what they did made the off-season even longer.

"I would have loved to have been a part of that series win, sometimes you have to view these things as a blessing in disguise.

"I have had my ops done, hopefully I will be back refreshed.

"Since I have made the transition to Super League I believe I have become a better player year-on-year.

"All I can do is train and play how I can, but I know I have a big year to try and replicate.

Kez has brought in some great players and strengthened across the board. We have a great all round pack."

Saints have brought in Lama Tasi, and he will join his place in the front row union also featuring Kyle Amor, Andre Savelio and Greg Richards.

"We complement each other well. What you get with Lama is a big, explosive, strong and agile player we have a pocket sized Mose who can do a lot more minutes.

"We are all excited to see how he goes and I am sure he will kick on and be a big hit with our fans. All the boys have taken to him and he has gone well in training,” Walmsley said.