St Helens have received a boost on the Ben Barba injury front after initial scans showed no serious damage.
The fullback was stretchered off the pitch after landing awkwardly in Saints’ 60-10 over Salford, causing understandable concern.
Barba had scored a hat-trick by the time he was forced off, and now the club is working towards a diagnosis for their star man.
Pleased to report that Ben was cleared of any serious injury last night after being seen in hospital. He will be assessed by our medical team this morning and we'll update you all later in the day. #saintsandproud
— St.Helens R.F.C. (@Saints1890) April 27, 2018
Barba’s performance prior to the injury had not escaped Justin Holbrook’s thoughts.
“He was brilliant,” he said.
“He’s really enjoying playing; he’s a real leader in our team and the things he does off the ball.. you probably can’t single Benny out in a performance like that, but he was phenomenal. He came back earlier than everyone else in pre-season and generally, you get your rewards from doing things like that.”
The other sour note on the evening was the red card for Matty Lees just before half-time: a decision Holbrook disagreed with.
“It’s hard for me, because he’s on my team – but I thought it was harsh,” he said. “I thought he hit the shoulder first and it’s hard to think that’s a sending off – but it is what it is.”
