HUNSLET coach Dean Muir hopes to have a number of experienced players pushing for a return to action by the time his team takes on Widnes on Sunday.
Buoyed by forcing a first league win of the season at the seventh attempt, 28-24 at Batley on Good Friday, the promoted south Leeds side were left kicking their heels over the weekend just gone due to a bye round.
With the likes of Australian Kobe Rugless, his fellow hooker Ross Whitmore, forward Brad Clavering and winger Mackenzie Turner on the road to recovery from injuries, Muir could have more options for the visit of the Vikings.
“It’s a big one for us,” said the former coach of National Conference League West Bowling, who also served as an assistant coach at Keighley before leading Hunslet to promotion from League One last year.
“Injuries have really impacted us, not just in terms of team selection, but also because it has made it harder to work on things in training due to lower numbers than we would have liked.
“We made a number of signings because we knew we would need to be that much stronger for the Championship, but it has taken longer to gel because players have been sidelined.
“But I was seeing good signs before we beat Batley, and while it’s only one win and we aren’t getting carried away, it was important to break our duck. It’s given everyone a lift and we have something to build on.
“A few more wins would put a different complexion on things, and we’ll keep working hard and plugging away, because we know we have them in us.”
Muir says a positive from the injury glut is younger players such as winger Mackenzie Scurr, prop Harrison Gilmore and backrowers Sam Campbell and Ethan Wood having had an extended taste of the higher level.
“They’ve embraced the challenge and both they and the team will be better for it in the long run,” he added.
