Hull KR double blow confirmed as Willie Peters discusses Lachlan Coote future

Batchelor has been told he must wear a neck brace for the next eight weeks after being stretchered off in Newcastle, while Sue is unlikely to play again this season due to a hamstring tear.

Lachlan Coote, meanwhile, will be out for the foreseeable future after he was left nursing another concussion in the aftermath of a third straight loss for Willie Peters' side.

Tom Opacic will also be absent when the Robins take on Catalans Dragons in Perpignan on Saturday following his return to Australia for family reasons, and Dean Hadley is a doubt with a wrist injury.

The long-term loss of Batchelor and Sue – two mainstays of Peters' pack this season – is a major blow to Hull KR's trophy ambitions.

“It is not good news with James," said Peters, who is set to welcome back Jordan Abdull for the trip to France.

"He got released from hospital in Newcastle and he still felt some tingles down his neck. Our team doctor has done an outstanding job. She sent him to Hull hospital who have been marvellous.

“He was in there for a few days. He came training today but he's going to be in a neck brace for eight weeks.

"The most important thing for Batch is to get that neck sorted. He has pins and needles in his arm which is now going. It is not an ideal situation for anyone involved.”

On Sue, Peters added: "Jess is going to be out for 16 weeks. He'll be having an operation this week.

"It's another major setback for Jess and the club. It gives an opportunity to someone else."

Coote is facing up to another stint on the sidelines as he comes to terms with his latest head knock.

The experienced full-back's 2022 campaign ended prematurely due to a third concussion of the year which pushed him close to early retirement.

After recently declaring his intention to retire at the end of this season, there are fears Coote may have played his last game.

Peters admits the 33-year-old has a decision to make about whether he plays on.

“Lachlan is in good spirits but we're not sure when he will come back and play," said Peters.

"His health comes first. He has had a few concussions now so it’s about making sure his head is in a good space.

"He's not silly. He's been through this many times now. I just told him that he needs to sit back, take a breath and make sure he's symptom-free first before looking at all his options.

"He needs to tell us, himself and his partner that he's okay to keep going. But he's aware as well that he's a father and a husband with many, many, many years to live a great life so he has to put that first as well.

"There's no doubt that the more knocks he has, he's got to sit down and look through things a lot more thoroughly in terms of where he goes going forward.

"I'm not even looking at when he's looking to play again. He needs the right amount of time."

Coote's injury provides an opportunity to former Leeds Rhinos full-back Jack Walker following his arrival from Bradford Bulls.

Peters is keen to manage expectations ahead of Walker's first Super League appearance since August 2022.

"Jack has trained well with us," said the Rovers boss.

"It's going to take Jack a while to get used to the speed of our training and Super League level again.

"It's an opportunity for someone like Jack who has played at Super League level before and won a Grand Final.

"We can't be too rushed in terms of what Jack is going to deliver on the field but he's fitting in extremely well."

Opacic's absence forces Peters into a change in the three-quarter line, which has struggled defensively in recent outings.

Shaun Kenny-Dowall has predominantly played on the right wing to accommodate Corey Hall as the Robins plan for life without the veteran outside back.

Peters has hinted that Kenny-Dowall will move back to left centre permanently, with Hall set to stand in for Opacic on the right this week.

"We certainly want to start to get some cohesion now with what we do with our winger and centre," said Peters.

"It was going fine. We'd been winning games or just falling short. Corey knows his game on the weekend wasn't at the level he wants it to be at.

"As a 20-year-old player – and this is where I'm huge on development – we can't just throw him out the window. His career can go downhill from there.

"I understand fans and people are going to have their opinions but we've got to look at the bigger picture. Now it’s about our best combination which we’ll look at going forward.

"We'll move Skidsy back this week. He's our top centre at the moment but could play wing as well.

"Tom has gone back to Australia to see his young boy which we knew about. That's only for a week but it gives an opportunity to Corey."