Tim Lafai absence explained by Salford coach Paul Rowley

Salford coach Paul Rowley confirmed that Tim Lafai is facing a spell on the sidelines after the star centre suffered a hamstring injury.

The Samoa international didn’t feature in Salford’s 14-13 win over Wakefield, having sustained the hamstring injury in the team run prior to Sunday’s game.

Salford are awaiting scan results on Lafai, but Rowley said it’s not looking good for the Dream Team member.

“A hamstring injury during the week in team run, so he could be quite a lengthy lay-off,” Rowley told Love Rugby League after their win over Wakefield.

“We’ll have to await the outcome of the scan but it’s a bit of a sickener for us that one.

“A low grade hamstring would be four to six and a high grade would be eight. Until we get the scans back, we hope it would be the better one.”

Asked if there were any more injury concerns after their golden point win over Trinity, Rowley added: “Just a few cuts but nothing notable that’s going to worry us for a short turnaround in five days going to Wigan.”

Tim Lafai out as Danny Addy returns

Scotland international Danny Addy played his first game in nine months after recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

“It was good for Danny,” Rowley said. “It’s probably a reflection of what we are as a group and a team.

“Danny will get his match fitness by short spells. We are dictated to how we use our subs rather than bringing them on and off when it suits us. We’ve got to be very careful with them.

“If we are trying to put a silver lining on it, as the season goes on we would hope, fingers crossed, that we get a bit fitter and that fit bodies come back from the sidelines. With our squad, having talent on the sideline can be quite damaging for how potent we are as a team.

“The message to Danny today was not to throw the ball around because we wanted to build his fitness up by defending tidy; and being a running threat, not so much a passing threat.

“He has obviously got that in (passing ability) in him but the basics to build your game is to do the fundamentals really well.

“He went out with a clear message so I thought he had a short but solid stint. I thought he was really useful when he was on. In an ideal world, he’d probably be playing in the reserves game after us. But we are in quite a rush to get all our bodies back fit and ready as quick as possible.”

Recruitment

Although injuries are taking their toll on the Red Devils, who have won three from five, Rowley says the club aren’t in a position to bring in any reinforcements.

“There’s not a pot there to bring people in, it’s as simple as that,” he said.

“We just keep patching up. We are in Round Five and the injections are flowing already, so it is what it is. It makes winning more rewarding I guess.

“Would I like unlimited resource? Of course I would. However, I think one of our strengths as a group is that we understand and build off the adversity.

“To concentrate on what you can’t have is unhelpful for us, but they are the facts. We’ll disguise it, put a brave face on and keep going.”

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