LIAM SUTCLIFFE broke a finger in Hull FC’s Super League defeat to Huddersfield Giants, head coach Tony Smith has revealed.
Hull fell to a 19-12 loss at the John Smith’s Stadium on Thursday night, with Chris McQueen scoring the winning try for Huddersfield eleven minutes from time.
It is a potentially costly defeat to their outside chances of making the play-offs, as they remain in ninth place in the table, albeit only two points off the top six for now.
They lost both of their centres during the second half, with Sutcliffe withdrawn due to a finger issue and Cameron Scott later hobbling off as well.
“Cam is going to be okay, he cramped up,” said Smith after Hull suffered a first defeat in three.
“He got to the point where he just couldn’t run. It was quite severe, so we’ll look into that.
“Liam’s was a little bit more serious. He’s had a compound fracture in his right hand, a finger.
“He’ll go to hospital, get it sorted. We don’t think it’s too far from being back into place. The doc did a good job.
“It was nasty-looking and they can be nasty, but the doctor also tells me sometimes they can be fine the next week. So fingers crossed, pardon the pun.”
Sutcliffe has missed only five games this season, all through injury, and been one of Hull’s more impressive performers in his first year at the club since signing from Leeds Rhinos.
Hull were without Tex Hoy and captain Carlos Tuimavave at Huddersfield due to hamstring injuries, while Jamie Shaul missed out with a calf issue. The long-term absence of another back, Mitieli Vulikijapani, has also stretched their options in that area of the field.
Hull next take on Super League’s bottom side Wakefield Trinity, a week on Sunday at the MKM Stadium.
