Huddersfield lose prop Greenwood as injury woe continues

Influential Huddersfield Giants prop Joe Greenwood has been ruled out for the season

Huddersfield Giants have lost prop forward Joe Greenwood to injury for the rest of the season.

The influential England international damaged a shoulder in the weekend’s 20-16 defeat by Leigh Leopards and has been ruled out of action until next season.

The loss is a major blow to the Giants, who have lost four consecutive Super League games and sacked head coach Ian Watson last week.

Interim coach Luke Robinson said that Greenwood’s absence came at a bad time, as they go into Friday night’s fixture against Salford with several key players missing.

He told BBC West Yorkshire: “Joe was starting in his last couple of games to get back to his best. He’s struggled a little bit with knocks and niggles.

'Bitter blow'

“I spoke to him about playing his best rugby and in the last couple of games he’s been back to his best, our go-to player, carrying the ball extremely well, getting quick play-the-balls and defensively has been really sound.

“If you speak to him he felt he was getting back to his best, so to lose him, along with the others, is a bitter blow.”

Robinson also revealed that Giants will be without two more props as Oliver Wilson sustained a calf injury in the same game and Seb Ikahihifo has been told by a specialist that his head injury needs another couple of weeks to heal.

With second rower Andre Savelio beginning a two-match ban for illegal head contact, Giants are struggling for forwards.