Super League injury room: Warrington suffer fresh blow as update issued on Leigh trio

Just three games took place over the weekend as Super League’s split Round 20 concluded, but the action brought a handful of fresh injury concerns.

In a first for the competition, the round was split across the space of a fortnight, with each side in the competition allowed a week without a game during that time.

This happened in order to compensate for the lack of a mid-season international break, and means that all 12 sides in Super League will have had at least one week during the season without a game.

Here’s a look at the players who either question marks now hang over or have already been ruled out after they picked up knocks during the Super League action we’ve just seen…

Hull KR/Salford Red Devils

Notably, there were no new injuries picked up by either Hull KR or Salford on Thursday night as the Super League leaders romped to a 74-12 win away from home.

Leigh Leopards

Leigh also came through their dramatic 20-16 win against Warrington on Friday night unscathed, though they did achieve that victory without the trio of Robbie Mulhern, Ethan O’Neill and Darnell McIntosh.

Prop Mulhern and back-rower O’Neill had been set to make their returns from injury against the Wolves. Having missed out, head coach Adrian Lam confirmed they, alongside back McIntosh, would be in contention for this Thursday’s game against Leeds.

Warrington Wolves

Warrington had led for a long period of time at the Leopards’ Den, but were stung by a late comeback, and the defeat brought with it at least one big injury blow to rub salt into the wounds.

Connor Wrench was forced off for a HIA just 12 minutes in after a heavy collision with Leigh winger Josh Charnley. The homegrown ace failed his assessment, so didn’t return to the field and will have to miss Friday night’s home clash against Wigan.

Elsewhere, team-mate Danny Walker will have to be assessed having taken a huge knock to his right arm during the defeat at Leigh.

Marking his return from a three-month absence with an ankle injury, Walker battled through the pain barrier and wasn’t forced off with the arm problem, but looked in some discomfort.

Castleford Tigers

The other game this weekend also came on Friday night, and saw Castleford beaten 40-0 away at St Helens.

Zac Cini was forced off late on and looked in a bad way following a heavy collision, with interim head coach Chris Chester confirming that the Australian centre had to go to hospital for stitches on a serious head injury post-match, saying he ‘looked like Rocky Balboa’.

It wasn’t confirmed whether Cini, who is yet to miss a game this season, failed a HIA. If he did, he will have to sit out of the Tigers’ trip to Hull KR on Saturday afternoon.