‘We need every base covered’ - injury-hit St Helens recall Sam Royle from loan ahead of Castleford match

Sam Royle has been recalled from a loan spell at Hull KR to help strengthen injury-hit St Helens - and will be among the 21-man squad which will be named on Friday ahead of Sunday’s televised home match against the Castleford Tigers.

Ironically, the 22-year-old second row forward returns to the Totally Wicked Stadium for the same reason that he left on a temporary basis - to help the Robins who are also struggling to get bodies on the playing pitch.

Head coach Kristian Woolf said: "Unfortunately, we had to bring him back because we, too, needed cover of our own. He had only been at Hull three weeks but will have returned a better player for the experience."

Woolf added: "Everyone at Craven Park, including coach Danny McGuire, was more than happy with what Sam brought to the club and while we would have liked him to stay longer, we needed every base covered ourselves and had to call him back.’’

Sam will rejoin a squad which will be boosted by the return of winger Tommy Makinson after a four-match absence due to a hamstring problem.