Saints injury update going into business end of season

Q: With Alex Walmsley back this week, that’s five senior players who have returned from long-term injury over three games and this must be a boost for you in the weeks ahead?

Wellens: “It’s a big boost. It’s well documented that we’ve been doing it really tough with depleted numbers and asking a lot of the same people every week.

“It’s great that we’re getting players back, which started with welcoming back Tommy Makinson and Matt Whitley, then Joe Batchelor and Morgan Knowles last week, and now Alex Walmsley. They’re all great players in their own right and would improve most teams.

“The challenge for us now is to understand that while getting players back is great, it doesn’t guarantee you results.

“Players coming back performing to a really high standard, as well as those who have been playing every week performing consistently well as a team, that’s our challenge from here.”

Q: Mark Percival is also in the 21-man squad after missing Hull through suspension – did the week out help him with the injury he had?

Wellens: “It has settled down a little bit. If he hadn’t have been suspended he wouldn’t have been in a position to play last week, so it’s allowed Percy the opportunity to get himself right. He did some running on the field on Tuesday and looked comfortable so we’re hopeful that will stay the same and he’ll be in contention to play on Thursday night.”

Q: George Delaney misses out again this week, what’s the story with him?

Wellens: “The knee problem that he re-injured at Leigh a couple of weeks ago is still rumbling on a little bit. We have to be sensible with players like George, young players who we have asked a lot of in recent times.

“He’s still only 19/20, but he’s a front-rower in the very infancy of his career in professional sport so we want to allow him the best opportunity to recover well from this injury.”

Q: A lot of clubs have suffered with a lot of injuries this year, is it something that’s becoming more difficult to manage in the game?

Wellens: “It’s kind of strange. At the start of the year I was having selection headaches galore because we had 24/25 fit players and you’re wondering how you’re going to narrow it down to 17, and then fast forward a couple of months and you’re in absolutely the opposite situation.

“That’s my challenge as a coach and our challenge as a club but we’re certainly not on our own as other teams and other coaches in other clubs have all had similar problems at certain points of the year.

“How you handle those moments is crucial in terms of picking up the necessary amount of points that you need to put yourself in a strong position at the back end of the year.”

Q: Are there more injuries in the game now?

Wellens: “There seems to be. I don’t necessarily have the numbers and details, so I can’t say that for sure, but there does seem to be more people in the casualty ward, so to speak, and it’s a challenge for everybody in the game – the physical nature of the game now, the size, strength and power of some of the athletes in the sport probably lends to there being more injuries because the collisions are higher and the different speeds that the players are going at now can put the body under pressure.”

Q: Any more of your injured players due back in the next few weeks?

Wellens: “Potentially in a few weeks Jake Wingfield might come back into contention. Sione Mata’utia is another who could come close in a few weeks’ time.”

Q: And where are things up to for Konrad Hurrell regarding his neck injury and his future being sorted?

Wellens: “He had surgery on Saturday morning and I’m pleased to report it went really well and Konrad can start his recovery process now.

“A great side of Konrad is that he came round from his operation and the first thing he did was get in touch to congratulate the team on getting a win after a few weeks.

“Konrad’s all for the team, always has been. We’ll support him the best way we can and any decisions around his future will be kept at bay for now.”