Ex-Super League duo suffer long-term injuries in Championship & League 1
Ex-Super League duo Tyla Hepi (left) & Adam Lawton (right) could have played their final games in 2024 after sustaining long-term injuries
Former Super League duo Tyla Hepi & Adam Lawton look likely to have played their final games in 2024 having both picked up long-term injuries in Championship & League 1 action respectively.
Ex-Hull KR & Castleford Tigers forward Hepi linked up with Championship new boys Doncaster ahead of this season, and has featured 11 times for Richard Horne’s side, but has sustained an ACL injury.
The 30-year-old had spent 2023 recovering from injury having last played in 2022 for both Castleford & Featherstone Rovers, but has now suffered the exact same issue in his other knee.
Lawton meanwhile joined League 1 outfit Oldham ahead of this season from hometown club Widnes Vikings, who he represented in Super League as well as Salford Red Devils.
He had scored 11 tries in his first 13 appearances for the Roughyeds, but now faces a spell on the sidelines having broken a bone in his ankle in last weekend’s defeat at table-toppers Keighley Cougars. That was the first League 1 defeat of the campaign for Sean Long’s side, who are targeting promotion.
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Ex-Super League duo Tyla Hepi & Adam Lawton suffer long-term injuries in Championship & League 1
Hepi’s ACL injury will definitely keep him out for the remainder of 2024, as confirmed by Doncaster via their social media channels on Friday morning.
📰 NEWS | Tyla Hepi out for the season
Doncaster RLFC are saddened to report that Tyla Hepi will miss the rest of the 2024 season with an ACL injury.
🔵 #COYD 🟡 pic.twitter.com/mUmfjC0Pj3
— Doncaster RLFC (@Doncaster_RLFC) May 31, 2024
Auckland-born Hepi, who will turn 31 in June, made his 200th appearance in the British game against Halifax Panthers last weekend having also donned a shirt for the Gloucestershire All Golds, Whitehaven & Toulouse Olympique as well as those already mentioned above.
In their press release, the Dons – currently sat just outside the play-offs in the Championship – said: “Everyone at Doncaster RLFC would like to make it clear that Tyla will not be alone on his journey to recovery.
“The club will be doing all it can to support Tyla in making a full recovery.”
Oldham meanwhile are yet to get confirmation over Lawton’s prognosis, though Roughyeds head coach Long spoke in their press release to note how severe the 30-year-old’s injury could be.
Long said: “He (Lawton) has broken his tibia or fibia. Obviously he will now see a consultant and he will be out for a while.
“He could be done for the year now, but on the flip side of that, it could be six weeks, or ten weeks, we don’t know.”