Serious injury for Hull KR star

Hull Kingston Rovers' Mose Masoe requires surgery. (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)

The 30-year-old Samoa international was taken to hospital after hurting his neck during the opening minutes of his side’s 18-6 defeat in a pre-season trial match at Wakefield on Sunday and Rovers say the injury is serious.

The former St Helens front-row was given oxygen on the pitch before being carried off on a stretcher and rushed to hospital in Leeds, where he was operated on overnight.

A statement from the club said: “Following the injury to Mose Masoe during yesterday’s friendly with Wakefield Trinity, the club can confirm Mose has suffered a serious spinal injury and was operated on overnight at Leeds General Hospital.

“The club will provide further updates as soon as possible. “

Masoe played in the NRL for Sydney Roosters and Penrith Panthers before moving to St Helens in 2014 and is in his second full season with Hull KR after helping them gain promotion from the Championship in 2017.

Rovers also lost second-row Weller Hauraki, who was captaining the team, with an ankle injury early in the second half of Sunday’s and he is set to undergo scans to determine the extent of the problem.