Warrington boss provides latest on injured Matty Nicholson
Warrington head coach Daryl Powell has provided the latest on the injured Matty Nicholson.
The 19-year-old back-rower was forced from the field with a shoulder injury during the first half of the Super League opener as Warrington defeated Leeds 42-10.
Powell confirmed the talented teenager sustained a dislocated shoulder following the fixture. However, the 57-year-old coach has since provided positive news on the injury.
He said during his weekly press conference: “Obviously he dislocated his shoulder which is a pretty painful injury, but it went pretty much straight back in. The scans showed there was no significant damage.
“So he doesn’t need an operation at this stage. He’ll be rehabbed back to fitness, potentially three or four weeks away. It’s good news really.
“Obviously, In the shorter-term, it’s not ideal. But in longer-term, it’s pretty good news. He should be available for round five or six.”
Matty Russell returns to 21-man squad as Matty Nicholson drops out
Matty Russell has been named in Warrington’s 21-man squad to face Huddersfield this Friday. The Scotland international missed the opening round due to illness.
The 29-year-old winger returned to the Halliwell Jones Stadium during the off-season from Toulouse on a one-year deal, having originally featured for the side from 2014 to 2018.
His return to the squad leaves a headache selection for head coach Powell, with Matty Ashton and Josh Thewlis both featuring in their impressive opening day victory over the Rhinos.
“He looks better. He’s lot a lot of weight, so he’s still a little bit light on where he was at,” Powell said on Russell.
“I’ve got to make a call on whether he’s in there or whether Josh Thewlis did enough to stay where he is, and he did a pretty good job last week.
“Josh and Matty can both play full-back as well, so there’s a challenge there. When you look around the squad, if we have everybody fit, I have some tough decisions to make.
“At this point, the wing slot is one of those where we’ve got loads of riches and we have got to get it right and make sure we get the best out of all three guys.”
Jack Darbyshire also comes into the squad, with Josh McGuire dropping out following his seven-match suspension.
Next up, Huddersfield
Despite an impressive start to the 2023 campaign, running in seven tries over Rohan Smith’s Leeds, Powell says his side shouldn’t get ahead of themselves.
Warrington travel to the John Smith’s Stadium this Friday. The Giants did not feature in the opening round due to St Helens’ involvement in the World Club Challenge.
“We can’t get carried away with that,” Powell said on the win. “We spoke about that all week. It’s important that we get straight back on and back up performances and back up performances.
“If you’re backing up your effort and your performances, it gives you a chance to back up your result.
“That’s obviously what we want to do. We want to be consistent.
“It’s important you don’t get too carried away with any win, same as you don’t overdo any loss. We keep our feet on the ground and this will be a tough challenge this week.”
Warrington 21-man squad: Ashton, Bullock, Clark, Currie, Darbyshire, Drinkwater, Dufty, Harrison, Hayes, Holroyd, Kasiano, Mata’utia, Mikaele, Minikin, Ratchford, Russell, Thewlis, Vaughan, Walker, Whitehead, Williams.
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