Salford Red Devils forward Ben Murdoch-Masila faces a lengthy injury layoff in the region of ten weeks after damaging knee ligaments in the opening minutes of Salford’s first friendly of pre-season last weekend.
A scan confirmed the extent of the damage that will leave the forward on the sidelines for the opening weeks of the 2017 campaign – but head coach Ian Watson believes the opportunity is now there for somebody to step in and make an early claim for the position.
“It’s disappointing to lose Ben at this stage but we all know we are in a game when this kind of thing happens,” Watson said.
“We are a tight-knit squad and all it means is that there is now a chance for somebody to step in and prove themselves. This is what we are looking for the lads to do. There is a starting spot free and a couple more games for somebody to grab it.
“Friendly games aren’t pointless pre-season matchups. The only way to prepare correctly to beat Wigan in the opening game is to play rugby.”
