Injured Ashton Golding to miss start of season at Huddersfield Giants

The Jamaica international, 23, had been hoping to make his mark for his new employers after joining from Leeds Rhinos.

Golding did not play a single Super League game for his hometown Leeds last term after spending much of the season with Featherstone Rovers in the Championship.

But Huddersfield were ready to give him the chance to establish himself once more – only to suffer a hamstring injury in last week’s friendly at Wakefield Trinity which scans have now shown is worse than first feared.

Golding posted a message on social media admitting: “In my life nothing has never come easy.

“Getting back to Super League is proving to be no different.

“I’ll admit I wasn’t ready for the news, But with the support of my family, friends, physios and team-mates I can overcome this. I will be back.”

Huddersfield coach Simon Woolford is expected to switch winger Darnell McIntosh to full-back for Saturday’s season opener at Catalans Dragons.

But he has also lost two other players to suspension with centre Jordan Turner and half-back Tom Holmes both serving one-game bans.

Elsewhere, the new season gets underway at Wigan Warriors tonight when they host Warrington Wolves. The visitors are set to give a debut to former Wigan centre Anthony Gelling and Matty Ashton, the winger from Swinton Lions, who is likely to line up at full-back, with Stefan Ratchford moving into the halves to offset the loss of another signing, Gareth Widdop.