Featherstone suffer Johnathon Ford injury blow

Championship promotion favourites Featherstone have suffered a blow to one of their key players in Johnathon Ford with an MCL injury.

Ford, 33, could be sidelined for up to 12 weeks with an MCL injury. However, the Cook Islands international is hoping to be back sooner.

The playmaker was spotted in a knee brace at Heywood Road on Sunday as Featherstone defeated Swinton 34-6 in the Championship.

He has made four appearances so far this season under Sean Long, and sustained the blow against Bradford earlier in March during their televised Monday night clash.

Elsewhere, France international forward Gadwin Springer suffered a hamstring injury against Allan Coleman’s Swinton. He is expected to be sidelined for a number of weeks.

There is some good news for Rovers fans. Full-back Mark Kheirallah is closing in on his return, having suffered an ACL injury last July. It’s a boost for the side, with Brandon Pickersgill having recently made the move to Halifax on a deal until the end of the 2024 season.

Johnathon Ford and Olly Ashall-Bott suffer blows

Featherstone’s title rivals Toulouse are awaiting news on the fitness of star full-back Olly Ashall-Bott.

Ashall-Bott was helped off the pitch against his former club Widnes on Saturday, with a knee injury suffered as he was tackled early in the first half.

There are fears he may have suffered an ACL injury, which would be a cruel blow for the 24-year-old who signed a four-year deal with the French side in the off-season.

He has had an unfortunate time with injuries, with a MCL knee injury ending his season in 2018. A back problem ruled him out for large parts of 2019 and last season he had a health scare when he collapsed on the pitch against Salford.