Wigan's Rising Star Noah Hodkinson Likely Out for 2026 With Thigh Injury

Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet has confirmed that 20-year-old winger Noah Hodkinson is unlikely to play again in 2026 after scans revealed a serious thigh injury.

Hodkinson suffered the damage to his quad — the large muscle group at the front of the thigh — during Wigan's win over Toulouse. Peet said the young winger "pulled up tight" and subsequent scans showed the injury was worse than first hoped. (BBC Sport)

It is a bitter blow for a player who has been one of the breakout stories of Wigan's season. Hodkinson made his first-team debut in March, starting in the Challenge Cup fourth-round win over Bradford. Since then he has scored 15 tries in 15 appearances — a strike rate that marks him out as one of the most dangerous young finishers in rugby league, the 13-a-side code where teams have six tackles to advance the ball before a handover. (BBC Sport)

For Wigan, the timing is particularly unwelcome. Peet had already confirmed last month that Hodkinson would be absent for the Magic Weekend clash against St Helens — the annual showcase where all Super League teams play at the same venue over a single weekend. That match also sees Wigan without Bevan French, Liam Farrell and Luke Thompson, leaving Peet's squad stretched at a pivotal stage of the campaign. (Sky Sports)

What makes this stand out is how quickly Hodkinson had established himself. Fifteen tries in fifteen games is production that most seasoned professionals would envy, and to lose that calibre of finishing for the remainder of the year forces Peet to reshuffle a backline already depleted by key absences.

The Warriors will now look to their remaining outside backs to fill the void, while Hodkinson faces a rehabilitation period aimed at returning fully fit for the 2027 season. For a player who only turned 20 and had barely broken into the side, the priority will be getting the quad right rather than rushing back for the tail end of a campaign that may have already slipped out of reach.

Wigan's medical team will manage his recovery carefully. Thigh muscle injuries of this severity can recur if not allowed to heal completely, and with a talent this young, neither the club nor the player will want to gamble on a premature return.