Lengthy blows for Wakefield duo as Applegarth provides full injury update

Wakefield coach Mark Applegarth has revealed lengthy blows to Samisoni Langi and Renouf Atoni as he issued a full injury update on his squad.

Trinity are low on numbers ahead of Friday’s trip to Perpignan as they face Catalans, who won 38-24 at Wakefield in the opening game of the season.

Speaking in his weekly press conference, Applegarth confirmed that centre Langi and prop Atoni could miss up to two months of action.

“We get a couple back and a couple more out,” Applegarth said.

“Soni is out for around eight weeks after that Hull game, he got a bit of a ATFL injury (ankle) on the back of a tackle in that game.

“Renouf has got a grade two MCL strain, his scans have confirmed that. I think we’re looking at anything from four to eight weeks. Once we get a bit more info on that we’ll update you but it’s a grade two MCL strain.

“We’ll have to see how he responds to treatment on that but he’s going to be out for the foreseeable future.”

Mark Applegarth provides injury update

Wakefield will be without centre Reece Lyne, utility Lee Gaskell, winger Tom Lineham and forward Jai Whitbread for their game in the south of France this weekend.

Applegarth said: “Reece, all being well, should be back just after Magic. He has had a soleus strain, so if I’m right, he starts running again next week and as long as he gets no reverse reaction to that, it is just making sure he gets his match fitness back up through getting some training reps and seeing how he is looking after that.

“Jai’s groin is still not right. It tightened up so we rested him for the cup game but he’s still got a bit of a niggle. We hope it’s not too bad, we’re going to send him for a scan later today to make sure that’s not too bad. We’re hoping anywhere between two and three weeks, probably a couple of weeks, maybe Magic, maybe not, but I don’t think it’s as bad as it could’ve been.

“Lee Gaskell dislocated his thumb in the cup game against Leigh about five minutes in and he’s got a bit of a hamstring issue from the same game, so he’s been ruled out for this week.

“Tom’s finger kept on dislocating and he couldn’t get it back in. He’s at the hand specialists as we’re speaking right now. Tom put his hand up this week but the medical staff, rightly so, wanted to get him to a specialist to see what the issue was. The swelling is pretty horrible too so hopefully that will settle down in the next week. As long as no surgery is needed, he will back in contention for the Magic Weekend game.

“We’ve got a couple back and a couple more join the injury list but its the same for every squad at this stage of the year. They come and go in that sense, so you’ve just got to ride with it, deal with the blows and just continue.”

Wakefield boosted by the return of Max Jowitt

Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix

Fresh from signing a new two-year last week, Jowitt will return from the treatment room for Friday’s game against Catalans.

Applegarth said: “Max Jowitt is, for me, one of the best attacking full-backs in the league.

“I think his pass selection, as I’ve said many times, is great out the back. He’s got pace to burn so he’s a running threat as well and we’ve been working hard on the defensive side of his game, which he wasn’t bad at, but needed to work on.

“I think at the age he is coming in to now, he’s just turned 26, he’s got his best years of rugby ahead of him. I’m just hoping he gets a bit of luck on the injury front and that he gets a consistent season or two where he can take that next step to the next level of his game and he can start hopefully putting his name forward for some representative honours and things like that.

“Max is an excellent player, it feels like he’s been around for an eternity, you forget he’s only 26 because he made his debut young but I’m really glad we’ve got him secured for the next two years and I think he’ll be a massive player for this club moving forward.”

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