Saints full-back Will Hopoate hamstring injury update

[josie andrews]

SAINTS boss Kristian Woolf has revealed the outcome of a scan on Will Hopoate's hamstring injury.

And he has confirmed the full-back will not be playing in the next few games, starting with the trip to Wigan Warriors on Friday when a draw or win would seal for Saints the League Leaders' Shield.

Hopoate played in the first half of Friday's home win against Hull KR but did not return to the field after the interval and it appears he is unlikely to figure when Saints host Wakefield on bank holiday Monday and when they complete their scheduled rounds at home to Toulouse Olympique on September 3.

The start of the play-offs is being earmarked for his return to action.

"Will's not going to play this week. As I said after the game last week, he tightened up through the hamstring and he's had some previous issues there.

"He's a bloke who we know is really important to finish the year for us, so we're going to wrap him in cotton wool a little bit over the next couple of weeks and make sure we've got him 100 per cent right for the games that really matter at the end of the year.

"We have had him scanned, just to make sure we're not dealing with anything worse and that's not the case.

So we're just going to make sure we play it smart and make sure we've got him when it really matters.

"I think if we go pushing him out over what we've got coming up over the next week then we would probably not have him when we want him.

"It obviously means we're going to have to reshuffle things through the 6, 7 and 1. We've done that plenty of times and we've won plenty of games despite that, so we'll figure something out there and we'll get on with it like we have all year."

Jack Welsby ended the Hull KR game at full-back with James Roby in the halves and Joey Lussick at hooker.

Woolf has also given Ben Davies time at stand-off this year, but he was in the centres against the Robins and Woolf has highlighted a shortage of outside backs recently through injury and suspension.

https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/207 ... ry-update/