St Helens trio ruled out of Challenge Cup tie at Halifax Panthers

Wembley winner Konrad Hurrell has been ruled out of St Helens’ Rugby League Challenge Cup tie at Championship club Halifax Panthers on Friday night alongside team-mates Matty Lees and Curtis Sironen.

The powerhouse centre, who was a member of the Leeds Rhinos side which lifted the prized trophy against Salford Red Devils in 2020, is suffering from a neck injury picked up when the champions lost to the Catalans Dragons in the south of France on May 6 and head coach Paul  Wellens is reluctant to bring him back at this juncture.

Wellens said: "Konrad had a bit of an issue with neck pain. A scan revealed a slight disc bulge but hopefully it will not be a big problem.  He is unavailable this weekend because those symptoms are still there. It’s one of those keep-your-fingers-crossed ones with Konrad."

But it isn’t injuries which keep both Lees and Sironen on the sidelines. Lees has been banned for two games after pleading guilty to a Grade D charge of off-the-ball striking during the victory over Salford.

The England international was denied the option of a penalty notice for a challenge on Shane Wright deemed ‘reckless’ by an independent tribunal on Tuesday night.

Earlier, Sironen had been handed a one-match ban by the RL disciplinary committee on a dangerous contact charge in the same fixture.

There is, however, better news on Sione Mata’utia with the forward close to a return from a concussion blow. “Sione has had clearance from the specialist and we will name him in our 21-man squad but he does need to complete some contact progressions," said Wello.

“If he comes through all those OK, we will look to play him at the weekend. I am delighted and so are all the players. It’s taken some time to recover from that blow, the medical staff have been outstanding in making sure he has been given the right amount of time and care to heal from that.”