Depleted St Helens suffer another blow as Curtis Sironen set for spell on the sidelines

Australian Curtis Sironen faces a further spell on the sidelines in a week Saints have also lost scrum half Lewis Dodd with a season-ending Achilles injury.

The 28-year-old second rower, who joined St Helens at the beginning of the 2022 campaign from NRL outfit Manly Sea Eagles, has been handed a two-match penalty notice for a Grade B high shot on a Huddersfield player in Easter Monday’s Super League clash at the John Smith’s Stadium.

He is ruled out of Friday’s trip to the Castleford Tigers and the following week’s home encounter against Salford Red Devils.

Head coach Kristian Woolf had earlier revealed that the Dodd, 20, had been ruled out for the season.

Speaking after Easter Monday’s 24-12 win at Huddersfield Giants, Woolf said: “It’s a real blow, a devastating blow to him. If I look at what he’s done for this team for the last 12 months, he came in just after the Challenge Cup last year.

“He was a big part of what we were able to do and go through and have success and win the Grand Final last year.

“All the success and the way we’ve started this year – he’s a big part of that – and in my eyes he’s been the form half-back in the competition this year and I’d be very sure he would be in and around the England side in the World Cup at the end of the year.

“It’s devastating news for him, and bad luck for us a team.

“It’s the second year in a row we’ve lost our number seven and that’s a hard thing to overcome, but what I know about this group and what they showed today is a real resilience.”