Warrington Wolves injury news: George Williams absence explained as coach also provides update on quintet

Warrington Wolves interim head coach Gary Chambers has explained the injury behind why George Williams won’t feature against St Helens.

England captain Williams was a notable absentee from Warrington’s 21-man squad that was announced on Wednesday lunchtime ahead of Friday’s clash with champions St Helens.

Promising half-back Leon Hayes is likely to fill the void left by Williams against Saints, partnering Australian playmaker Josh Drinkwater in the halves.

“He’s got a bit of a thigh pull he’s been nursing for week now,” Chambers said in his weekly press conference.

“We got it scanned and it’s not going to get better if we don’t give him a bit of rest so it is what it is.

“We’re at that stage of the season when players are getting these (type of injuries) and George battles through as he does.

“In all honesty he’d probably be willing to go again but we’ve got Leon Hayes there so he plays. We view him as the future of our club moving forward so he’s in.”

Chambers believes it is only a minor injury to Williams, saying it was the best thing to give him a week off to allow his thigh to recover from heavy workload.

“He’s sort of running around at the moment,” Chambers added.

“We got some titanium trainers for him because he’s got a really bad toe, there’s a joint issue there, but he just gets on with it, so you have to remove him for his own good at times because he’d just play with anything.

“This is something that’s not going to improve if we don’t give him a week off and just stop the volume on it. If we needed him desperately at any time he’d play.”

Mata’utia and Dudson sidelined, Philbin and Kasiano good to go

The Wire will be without centre Peter Mata’utia and prop Gil Dudson on Friday night due to hamstring injuries.

But the good news for Warrington is that forwards Joe Philbin and Sam Kasiano have been passed fit to play.

“There’s a bit of hamstring trouble with both of them,” Chambers said.

“I’ve said before the (full) squad is everything and if we’ve got 100 per cent fit bodies then Connor Wrench starts in the centre and Joe Philbin comes back in so it gives other people a chance, that’s the value of having a healthy bodies.

“Joe is good and Sam’s good, he wasn’t well at all at the (Salford) match so it all sort of happened.

“I will never make any excuse for the game but we got two head knocks and Sam Kasiano went in the changing and wasn’t in a healthy place at the time. There were three of them in the medical room so Sam’s picked up and is better for it and is good to go.”

Warrington welcome St Helens to the Halliwell Jones Stadium in Round 26 of Super League on Friday night, 8pm kick-off.

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