Tom Chester has been hailed as one of rugby league’s toughest competitors – now injury will force him to prove it again.

He has not yet announced a comeback, but his former coach has declared the luckless North Queensland Cowboys sensation too good to be confined to the NRL’s fringes.

Chester was expected to challenge for the void at centre left by Valentine Holmes – a position he filled three times last year before suffering a season-ending ruptured ACL.

But the numbers Chester produced when his Northern Pride decimated the Western Clydesdales – two tries, five line breaks, a try assist, 20 tackle busts and 422 running metres – highlighted the fact he couldn’t languish in the Queensland Cup.

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The trouble is, Chester – off contract at the end of 2025 – is viewed as a long-term fullback, and he’s stuck behind fellow No.1 Scott Drinkwater, who has more try assists than any first-grade player across the past two seasons (51).

But of his 400-metre exploits, Chester’s former Pride mentor, Eric Smith, told this masthead he had “never seen anything at that level”.

“His work rate is tremendous, he has to get physically pushed out of the way by his teammates because he just wants to do so much work and help his teammates out,” said Smith, who now coaches the Redcliffe Dolphins.

“You have to save him from himself; if the ruck forwards want him to have three hit-ups in a set because they’re cooked, he’ll do it.