Huge St Helens injury blow ahead of Challenge Cup semi-final against Wigan Warriors

Saints will have one eye on the recovery room this week and keeping their fingers crossed that international half back Jonny Lomax will be fit to face arch-enemy Wigan Warriors in the semi-final of the Betfred Challenge Cup at Elland Road, Leeds, on Saturday.

The 31-year-old playmaker was forced to pull out of the 14-10 victory over Salford Red Devils in the first half of Friday’s Super League clash at the Totally Wicked Stadium with a bicep problem - coming hard on the heels of the season-ending Achilles injury to fellow first choice half-back Lewis Dodd.

It would be a massive blow to lose Lomax for the foreseeable future, including the most important match of the season so far against Wigan in Saturday’s semi-final, but it’s the kind of injury which does not mend overnight and Saints will be hoping it’s not as bad as first feared.

He and Dodd had featured in a successful start to the new season in which the defending champions currently hold top the table on a for and against points difference from neighbours Wigan.

But by no stretch of the imagination were Saints at their best against Salford and without a last-gasp tackle from Morgan Knowles could conceivably have lost at home for the first time in 2022.

Unlucky Will Hopoate, who has only featured in five games this year, also suffered a slight hamstring problem but played through the pain barrier.

Woolf will be hoping for some more positive news on injured duo, Regan Grace and Sione Mata’utia, as well as what happens at the RL match disciplinary committee meeting on Monday when one or two Saints’ players are likely to be ‘in the dock.’