Williams eyes 'third time lucky' after rapid return

England and Warrington Wolves captain George Williams tells BBC Sport all about his race against time to be fit for Saturday's Challenge Cup final.

The Challenge Cup final is almost here and it's been the longest six or seven weeks of my life getting fit and ready to go.

I've been running for the past three or four weeks and the recovery from my ankle injury has been going really well.

Obviously, it's a race to get to the final. I need to give a big shout out to the performance staff at Warrington, Nick Murphy the physio, Ade Gardner [the head of performance]. They've been brilliant in getting me back to where I want to be.

We've maximised everything we can. We're on a programme whereby we're shaving off three to four weeks off a normal recovery time.

A little bit has been 'trial and error', trying things to see how I react but I've been reacting really well. It's the most professional I've ever been in my life really, just doing everything I can.

You can also get a mini pre-season in. When you're playing week in, week out it's hard to maximise gym time because you're sore, you've got niggles and knocks, so I've been able to smash the gym for five weeks to get some improvements.

I was gutted to get injured but the silver lining is hopefully I'm fresh for the back-end of the year.

The thing that makes me really happy is going home to my kids, so while I don't get the same love of my job when not playing, that's been great. It puts it in perspective too, it's been difficult not playing but the kids make me smile. I'm injured but I have two healthy kids.

Chambers, cryo, red lights - tech galore

Warrington have left nothing to chance with this recovery process.

I've been in an oxygen chamber, or hypobaric chamber which I think is the posh phrase, every day, with the physio every day, even on a day off.

There's a 'Game Ready' machine that I've been living on, my kids have been sitting on my knee because I've not been very active, just been lying there trying to get myself right.

I've done everything I can in every way possible to get back for the final. It's a pretty easy goal and something to strive for.

Ben Currie (right) has stood up as Warrington captain in George Williams' absence

I did not like the hypobaric chamber at first to be honest. You're supposed to go in for an hour and the first time it took me 30-40 minutes to relax, I was panicking.

But I'm used to it now. It didn't help that some of the lads started Googling it when I was going in with my phone and they said those chambers can blow up with electronics, so that got me panicking - but I've been alright.

I started my running on an AlterG machine, which takes a certain amount of your bodyweight. I started with 60% bodyweight, then 70%, 90%, and then I was obviously into full running. So within two weeks of that part of the recovery I was actually running on that machine, which is mad really.

It's been a good opportunity for the performance side to realise how much you can actually push because it's a bit scripted when you have an injury.

When they put a timeframe on people, everyone is different so you maximise your rehab and it's surprising what you can do. It's been surprising for the performance staff to see me get back for the final which no-one has done before at Warrington in that time.

Diet-wise, I wasn't running early on so I had to eat really clean, and it's been easy because the end goal was to play at Wembley - and if you can't commit to that then what can you commit to?

The reluctant spectator

One thing I've definitely realised from the time in the stands is I'm a bad, bad watcher. Now I realise what fans go through - it's horrible.

When you play you can impact the game or try to influence the result but in the stand you can't do anything, it's out of your control and you've just got to support the lads and the team and I've hated it.

It's been good to see other players develop. Ben Currie's stepped up and that's a positive for the team, as is learning to play without me.

Sometimes it looks different up in the stands to how it feels out there on the pitch, so I get the coaching side of it more.

We played [Saturday's opponents] Hull KR the other week and me and Marc Sneyd were jotting notes and we were doing a bit of preview before the Challenge Cup final preview. I've liked that side of it but I'd rather be playing.

Third time lucky

George Williams lost a Wembley final with Wigan and then again with Warrington last season

This is my third Challenge Cup final and I'm hoping for third time lucky. It was third time lucky with the first win in a Grand Final and fingers crossed it's the same script for me. It's one that's always kind of flipped away from me and I've not got hold of yet.

In terms of stadiums and venues, Wembley's right up there, it's our national stadium but it will rise in my estimations if we win.

I've played a few times and lost and I'm sure it's a lot better feeling and memories of the stadium when you win so that's the goal for me.

At least all the Wigan fans and mates who were bugging me for tickets last year have all gone this year, I've told them where to go.

They're not interested anymore. I've got a few family members going down and a few friends taking them but not as many which is not surprising.