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Four more injuries

8/ 5/2008

PAUL Kidd is expecting his Swinton Lions side to put in a good performance against York this weekend – despite four more names being added to the club’s seemingly ever growing injury list.

The Lions’ injury crisis has been heightened by Rick Jones (ankle ligaments), Chris Hull (hernia) and Chris Tyrer (back) all being in the wars in the Bank Holiday Monday defeat to Gateshead and the fact that Adam Bibey injured his shoulder in a serious motorway car crash the day before that game.

The quartet join Wayne English (broken jaw), Dean Gorton (broken wrist and thumb), Andy Saywell (ankle), Darren Bamford (ankle), Liam McGovern (broken hand), Rob Ball (dead leg), Chris Morley (knee), Phil Wood (bruised ribs), Rob Line (sternum) and Darren Gibson (hip) in the treatment room.

Hull will undergo an operation to overcome his hernia problem but Kidd is hoping that Tyrer, Wood, Line and Gibson will recover from their injuries in time for the home game with York City Knights on Sunday, May 11, kick-off 3pm.

Kidd concedes that he may have to go into the game with just two props at his disposal in Bruce Johnson and Gareth Hayes. But, with York lying two places below sixth-placed Swinton in the League Two table having won just one league game to date, Kidd is convinced that his team can come out on top on Sunday.

Head coach Kidd said: "Our injury crisis just gets worse and worse but I honestly believe that my squad is good enough to cope with this situation.

"I expect us to put in a good performance against York and go for a win.

"I just hope that we don’t pick up any more injuries during the match. If we come through it okay we should have a couple of bodies back for our game at Oldham the following weekend."

Kidd last week signed 19-year-old utility back Chris Frodsham from St Helens and 22-year-old centre Ben Williamson from Langworthy Reds to plug some of the gaps left by injured players.

He said: "Chris was outstanding against Gateshead on Monday and I can see him having a big future ahead of him while Ben has played for us before so I know that he can do a good job for us."