It’s been another big weekend of Super League action – and another bruising weekend on the injury front.
Clubs are dealing with more problems than seemingly ever before, and after Round 4, there are some huge players, and huge clubs, facing potential setbacks. Here’s the latest round-up..
The big news of the weekend revolves around Wigan Warriors superstar Bevan French – who left the field in the final minutes of their victory against Toulouse on Saturday evening with an apparent hamstring complaint. That will likely be addressed by the Warriors or Matt Peet in the coming days.
But it means Wigan could become the latest club to lose both their first-choice fullback and their replacement after Jai Field was ruled out for an extended period after undergoing surgery for appendicitis.
The Warriors’ big rivals also had a rough weekend when it comes to injuries. St Helens will definitely be without Jacob Host and George Delaney for their Challenge Cup tie against Castleford. Host broke his leg in the win over Bradford Bulls, while Delaney failed a HIA after being hit high by Elliot Peposhi.
There is also a concern over Nene Macdonald, who was visibly struggling during the game and who Paul Rowley admitted may now be given a breather next week, with Mark Percival’s return imminent.
Leeds suffered a couple of injuries over the weekend; one before the win over Castleford, and another during. But the early signs are that the blows suffered by Ash Handley and James McDonnell are not too bad.
Brad Arthur confirmed that Handley wanted to stay on after feeling tightness in his groin, and that he has pulled up okay. McDonnell actually passed a fitness test after tweaking his back in the final session before the Castleford game, but Arthur opted to play Jeremiah Mata’utia instead. That means McDonnell should be fit for next week.
But the side suffering with injuries the most is Huddersfield Giants – who lost another FOUR players in their latest game, and a handful more during the week, too.
Sam Hewitt and Sam Halsall are gone for lengthy periods, with Zac Woolford set to miss the next fortnight too. None of those made the starting line to face Hull KR – before the Giants’ injury issues got worse.
George Flanagan left the ground in a protective boot, while Matty English also needed a knee brace after a heavy collision. Ollie Russell and Kieran Rush also couldn’t finish the game – and Luke Robinson admitted this week he and his coaching staff put their boots on to make up the numbers to ensure they could train.
Injuries are biting all clubs: but few, if any, like Huddersfield.