INJURY WOE FOR ROVERS
COOTE AND CROOKS TO MISS START OF THE SEASON?
NEW Hull KR signing Lachlan Coote could miss the start of the 2022 Super League season after undergoing a shoulder operation in the wake of the Grand Final.
The 31-year-old completed a hattrick of titles in his final game for St Helens, kicking the winning goal in the victory over Catalans Dragons at Old Trafford.
Coote is set to be a key player for the Robins next year but he will have to ease himself in at Craven Park after undergoing surgery on a rotator cuff injury.
Ben Crooks, meanwhile, has had a similar operation on his shoulder.
“They’ve undergone those and are on their way to recovery,” Rovers head coach Tony Smith told the Mail.
“It’s unfortunate but just part of our sport.
“They should be close to the start of the season to be able to resume playing but they’ll certainly miss the friendlies.
“They’ll be doing everything they’re capable of during pre-season but they won’t be in the regular crew. They’ll be busy in rehab and integrating back in as and when they can.”
Smith says even Coote himself was surprised to have to go under the knife.
“I don’t think he was expecting to have to have one at the end of the season,” added Smith.
“He was just hopeful that it would be rest and recovery, and a cortisone may have been able to keep it all going. “Unfortunately it got to the point where the best thing was to have it repaired rather than carry it through another season.
“The wise thing to do was to get it repaired and that was the recommendation by the consultant. “He’ll be back around the start of the season. Whether he makes the first round or two, we’ll see.” While it is a setback for Coote at the start of his time with Rovers, Smith believes it could prove to be a blessing in disguise. “Lachlan has played a lot of rugby league in the last three seasons being involved in most games in both competitions,” he said.
“In some respects, him having an extended period of time of rest and recovery from his operation won’t do him a whole lot of harm.
“It may actually be a godsend in the long run because his workload for the last three years has been enormous.”
Matty Storton is another player who was forced to undergo surgery on a shoulder problem after a heavy workload in 2021.
Smith expects the young forward to be available by the start of next season.
Kane Linnett was included in an extended Scotland squad at the end of last month but he will sit out Sunday’s game against Jamaica after playing through the pain of a fractured finger in the closing stages of the Super League season.
Dean Hadley (shoulder and wrist) and Matt Parcell (pectoral) are also on the road to recovery after undergoing operations at the end of an arduous season.