Salford Red Devils coach confirms injury blow as player sales latest delivered

Salford boss Paul Rowley has provided a positive update on Chris Hankinson’s injury, but wasn’t able to offer any further information on players who might leave the Red Devils over the next few weeks.

Salford started last weekend’s Challenge Cup clash against Championship outfit Bradford Bulls with a squad of only 16, and then lost Hankinson just ten minutes in.

The utility back didn’t return to the field, meaning Rowley was left with just 15 players for 70 minutes, eventually seeing his side prevail 26-16 to book their spot in the quarter-finals.

As exclusively revealed by LoveRugbyLeague last week, Hankinson is one of a number of players linked with a move away from the Salford Community Stadium amid the Red Devils’ ongoing financial plight.

But the club remain tight-lipped on his and any other potential exits following the sale of star half-back Marc Sneyd to fellow Super League outfit Warrington Wolves.

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Salford Red Devils coach confirms injury blow as player sales latest delivered

Through his injury, Hankinson hasn’t been named in Rowley’s 18-man squad for Thursday night’s Super League Round 5 clash at home against Huddersfield Giants.

In his pre-match press conference, head coach Rowley shed some light on that shoulder injury, saying: “He (Hankinson) has done a bit of damage to his A/C joint.

“We’re just waiting a little bit longer to see what the outcome is of that. It’s settled quite well, so we’re not at where the initial fears first were.

“It looked pretty bad, but I think it’s a lot better than first feared, and that might be a quick turnaround with a bit of luck.”

Alongside Hankinson, there are strong reports that Papua New Guinean centre Nene Macdonald and Ireland international Brad Singleton will leave the club alongside Tim Lafai, who is set to hang up his boots and return to his family Down Under.

But when asked about potential departures, Rowley insisted there was ‘no update’, going on to say: “We take every day as it comes, so we’ll just crack on with our game first.

“If that occupies my mind, it’s not a healthy position for me to be in. I need to focus on the job at hand.”

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