Kristian Woolf update on ‘devastating’ injury blow for Matty Foster on first game back after ACL surgery

The 21-year-old second rower has re-injured the same knee which kept him out for over nine months.
Matty FosterMatty Foster
Matty Foster

It never rains but it pours - and injury-plagued St Helens second row Matty Foster knows this more than most Rugby League players.

The 21-year-old’s tale of woe continued when, making his comeback, he suffered a knee injury in a reserve team match at Castleford Tigers on Saturday and could face another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

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He will now have a scan and also see a specialist to gauge the extent of his latest injury, which head coach Kristian Woolf described as a ‘devastating blow.’

Woolf said: "Unfortunately, Matty hurt the same knee which had kept him on the sidelines previously and that’s bad news when taking into account the number of other injury blows he has suffered in the past couple of years.

"He has come off two ankle surgeries, a broken jaw, knee surgery, and now another setback.

"It is also devastating for him but we don’t know the full extent of it until he sees a specialist. Once we know more, he will also be aware how long that will take and where he goes from that point."

Kristian Woolf, St HelensKristian Woolf, St Helens
Kristian Woolf, St Helens
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Foster, who made his only Saints’ first team appearance against Salford Red Devils in October 2020, has had horrendous bad luck with injury, including breaking his jaw in round one of Super League while playing on dual registration with Leigh Centurions.

But despite his misfortune,Woolf remains confident that he will bounce back from adversity.

The Aussie said:" What I would say about Matty is that he is a real good guy and everyone at the club and those in our group respect him and that is because he works really hard, he carries himself well, and is a good person.

"He hasn’t folded once since the injuries struck, he comes in for training every day with a smile on his face and has worked really hard to get himself back on the field. He plays hard and that is a difficult and brave thing when you are returning from a number of injuries.

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"Whatever the outcome, he has shown that he has real resilience and so with everyone’s support we will back him to get through this.

Woolf also confirmed that Morgan Knowles will be back in the 21-strong squad for Sunday’s short trip to Salford Red Devils, kick-off 3pm, after serving a one-game suspension but Dan Norman is ruled out by an injury picked up at Wakefield Trinity on Sunday.