Will Dagger’s season over as Hull KR suffer more injury woe

Interim Hull Kingston Rovers’ head coach Danny McGuire will have been all smiles when he received the good news yesterday that four of his crocked players would be fit to return to his injury-riddled line-up for tonight’s visit from relegation-threatened Toulouse.

Barely 24 hours had passed, however, before news came through that another four of his players wouldn’t be available, two of them ruled out with season-ending knocks.

The biggest blow comes in the form of Will Dagger’s injury, suffering what has since turned out to be a season-ending ruptured achilles following an awkward twist in the tackle midway through the first half in the heavy defeat to Wigan Warriors. Dagger will now undergo surgery tomorrow and begin his rehabilitation shortly after.

Debutants Charlie Cavanaugh and Connor Moore both went down in the 46-4 defeat, the former dislocating his patella after an impressive performance. The young hooker will now likely miss the rest of the season and require surgery to correct the damage.

Moore picked up a shoulder injury early into his debut and will miss the next few weeks.

Elsewhere, Lachlan Coote suffered a concussion in a collision with Wigan’s Harry Smith and failed the subsequent HIA. He is completing his return to play protocol and will likely be available for next Friday’s game against Leeds Rhinos.

It is hoped Coote will be joined by former Rhinos’ winger Ryan Hall, who is now back in training after suffering a calf tear and will be back to face his old club along with Kane Linnett, the influential second-rower entering the end of his rehab from a bicep tear.

The latest injury blows are softened somewhat for McGuire knowing that he can welcome back Matty Storton (dislocated toe), Frankie Halton (AC rupture), Shaun Kenny-Dowall (throat injury) and Jimmy Keinhorst (concussion) for tonight’s crunch clash at Craven Park.

A win tonight would take Rovers level on points with sixth-placed Salford Red Devils and fierce rivals Hull FC who lie seventh.