EVERYONE knows that injuries are part and parcel of rugby league given the ferocity of the sport.
However, whilst some clubs see just a few or a couple of injuries at the same time, others – like Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers – have suffered throughout the 2024 Super League season.
The Rhinos currently have the likes of James Bentley, Morgan Gannon, Tom Holroyd, Harry Newman, David Fusitu’a, Brodie Croft, Riley Lumb and Paul Momirovski on the sidelines.
For Leeds head coach Rohan Smith, it has become frustrating in which the nature of the injuries have struck.
“When I arrived here, there were a bunch of injuries then and we have made some good gains in certain injuries in reducing them,” Smith said.
“The extended concussions particularly are the ones that are really hard to account for and no one can really tell you how to reduce concussions other than not to play.
“Some things you can do in terms of strengthening your neck and technique but those ones are the difficult ones. Morgan Gannon, Tom Holroyd and James Bentley, you can’t really account for them.
“Harry Newman, for example, got a massive hit in the back and he has had a disc issue. Ash Handley had a cartilage problem to his ribs from impact.
“Some are part and parcel of the battle of the game. We haven’t really had too many soft tissue injuries but other force-initiated and concussions have disrupted us the most.”
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