St Helens coach delivers grim injury update following latest Owen Dagnall blow

St Helens boss Paul Rowley admits he doesn’t expect any of his stars to return from injury this week, with Owen Dagnall the latest name added to an already incredibly extensive list of absentees.

Saints suffered their heaviest-ever loss at the BrewDog Stadium – which they have called their home since 2012 – on Sunday afternoon, with Toulouse Olympique thumping them 46-0.

The defeat came by a wide enough margin to see Rowley’s side drop out of the Super League play-off spots on points difference, with Leigh Leopards leapfrogging them into sixth place.

It marked a fifth loss in seven matches for the Red V, who continue to deal with the worst injury crisis in the competition.

St Helens coach delivers grim injury update following latest Owen Dagnall blow

Ahead of the clash against Toulouse, Saints’ lack of bodies saw them draft in Jed Cartwright on loan from Hull FC, with the hope that they will be able to make that move a permanent one until the end of the current campaign.

Mark Percival, Deon Cross, Jonny Lomax, Alex Walmsley, Daryl Clark, Matty Lees, Shane Wright, David Klemmer, George Delaney, Matt Whitley, George Whitby, Jake Wingfield, Lewis Murphy and Noah Stephens all remain sidelined.

Young outside-back Dagnall has now joined them after sustaining a knee injury which looked to be severe on Sunday, and though head coach Rowley could not provide much of an update on him post-match, he did lay the crisis bare.

Rowley explained: “I don’t know the full extent of it (Dagnall’s injury), but it looks a bad one.

“I think with Owen now, that’s 16 first-team players (unavailable).

“I don’t think (any will return for our Round 19 clash against Catalans Dragons).”

Sunday afternoon’s game saw the returns of both young hooker Jake Burns and veteran Australian forward Curtis Sironen, while youth products Matty Evans and Chris Matagi both made their professional debuts off the bench.

Front-rowers Walmsley and Delaney both sat out due to concussion protocols, so they will need to pass all of the necessary checks before they are given the green light to return, with the potential of both featuring as soon as this weekend.

Rowley continued: “It’s hard because the team’s constantly changing.

“Shane Wright pulled out yesterday (Saturday), and Chris Matagi doesn’t train with us because he’s not a full-time player.

“(Curtis) Sironen has only joined in on the last training session (before the game), and that’s his first time training in two weeks.

“There are so many moving parts at the minute just to get people on the field.

“They are pretty busted. The amount of needles and patching up to get on the field is admirable.”