Hull KR’s fresh injury blows revealed as squad reaches breaking point ahead of Wigan clash

Oliver Gildart will not play for Hull KR against former club Wigan Warriors on Thursday night, with team-mates Dean Hadley, James Batchelor, Ryan Hampshire, Tyrone May and Jai Whitbread all also sidelined.

After suffering back-to-back home defeats to Warrington Wolves and Toulouse Olympique, the Robins head to Wigan for their fourth game in just 14 days.

The Round 25 clash is a repeat of the Super League Grand Final we’ve seen in each of the last two seasons, with Rovers the reigning champions having beaten the Warriors at Old Trafford last October.

But the squad news revealed on Tuesday lunchtime confirmed Thursday night’s game would be far from a repeat – with KR head coach Willie Peters heavily rotating his squad and bringing in a wealth of youngsters.

Since that initial 21-man squad was confirmed, the injury news has got even worse – with experienced centre Gildart not passing his fitness test.

Hull KR’s fresh injury blows revealed as squad reaches breaking point

Last weekend’s defeat to Toulouse at Craven Park saw forwards Hadley and Batchelor forced off, while it was revealed post-match that veteran utility back Hampshire had fractured his wrist.

Providing a full injury update in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday morning ahead of the trip to Wigan, Peters explained: “Dean (Hadley) has got a slight groin strain, hopefully it’ll just be this week (he misses).

“Batch (James Batchelor) will be out about three weeks (with a hamstring injury).

“Ryan (Hampshire) will be out about four weeks, he’s had his operation (on his fractured wrist).

“They (Tyrone May and Jai Whitbread) are still not right, and Oliver Gildart didn’t get through Captain’s Run.

“That’s where we’re at, at the moment. We’ve got to get through this period the best we can.

“There are genuine injuries, and there are two or three others at the minute that we need to manage to make sure we don’t get more (injuries) in terms of our soft tissue stuff. We’ll make sure they can freshen up for the back end.”

‘They need to get some fuel in that tank again because it’s certainly been emptied’

Back in 2023, KR heavily rotated their side away against Wigan the week before the Challenge Cup final, which they lost to Leigh Leopards.

Earlier this season, Wigan then heavily rotated at Craven Park against KR the week before the Challenge Cup final between the pair, which Matt Peet’s side went on to win at a canter.

KR currently sit sixth on the Super League ladder with three rounds of the regular season remaining, and still need to put points on the board to lock in their play-off spot.

With games against Huddersfield Giants and St Helens on the horizon, head coach Peters insists his rotation here is not a choice, but has been forced upon him.

The Australian detailed: “Someone like Tom Davies, for example, has been our best player all year and has played to a high level.

“We missed 60 tackles in that game against Toulouse, a lot of it from fatigue and being tired, and Tom has played every game.

“Players like him (Davies) are carrying things as well, they could play, but it’s more around minimising the risk of soft tissue (injuries).

“Four games in 14 days is incredibly difficult on the back of what we’ve done.

“They’re all legit injuries, bar two of three. The ones who aren’t playing (but could) are still carrying something – Peta (Hiku), Tom (Davies) is bruised and battered after games, and so is Jez (Litten).

“Everyone else is carrying injuries where they can’t play. We need to get those right, and they need to get some fuel in that tank again because it’s certainly been emptied.

“It’s important they refresh themselves and get their injuries right.”

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