STEFAN Ratchford admits he is “itching” to get back onto the pitch and help Wolves correct their poor start to the Super League season.

The 28-year-old will return to The Wire line-up for the trip to St Helens tomorrow, Friday, and is expected to start at full-back.

This comes after completing a long recovery from surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his knee.

Ratchford picked up his injury in innocuous fashion while on international duty with England and says he never expected to be out for this long.

His last game was his full international debut during England’s Test victory over France in October last year and says watching his teammates struggle from the stands has been frustrating.

“It’s felt like forever since I’ve been out on a rugby field so I can’t wait to get back out there. I’m itching to play again,” he said.

“I was doing some preparation before going out for warm-up and something just locked in my knee.

“We were hopeful that something had just got caught and it would be four to six weeks maximum but it was a lot nastier than they thought.

“The surgeon said it would be between four and five months until I could play again but I’ve put the hard work in to get back and help the lads now.

“With the start we’ve had, it’s been so frustrating watching from the stands as well as for the boys on the field.

“Just being among the boys is a big boost for me personally. We’ve had quite a sizeable rehab group but there’s no better feeling than getting out on the pitch.”