Scans have revealed that winger Regan Grace has sadly ruptured his Achilles ruling him out for the rest of the season, meaning he has played his last game for the Club.
Grace pulled up unchallenged, in the final minute of our defeat to Salford on Sunday and scans have unfortunately revealed the worst.
He will now undergo surgery to repair his ruptured Achilles before he moves to French Rugby Union side, Racing 92 at the end of the season.
Boss Kristian Woolf confirmed the news: “Regan has unfortunately ruptured his Achilles and it is a devastating blow for him and for us as a team and a Club as well.
“Regan has come through our Academy and has been a big part of our club and team for a long time. He is a really valued player and person who has been a big part of our success over the last couple of years.
“He has had a really tough year injury wise, through no fault of his own, going from a bicep injury to a hamstring injury, into now a season ending Achilles injury.
“The fact that he’s not going to be here next year adds to the feeling and it is sad that this is the way that his Saints career at the moment has finished.
“We all really feel for him and know that he is well supported there by his partner Nina and obviously his family. But it is a real shame and a really sad way to see him finish.
“He will undergo surgery in the next few days and that is something the Club will try and do as soon as possible for him. One thing this Club does really well is support the players in that way but also off the field.
“He’ll get all the support he needs from the Club and his from his teammates. We will make sure that when he leaves at the end of the year to go to his next club, that we put him in the best position we can because we want him to be successful there as well.”
Everyone at the Club wants to thank Regan for his years of service with us and we all wish him a speedy recovery ahead of his new challenge next season.
In more positive news, Woolf revealed that Curtis Sironen’s bicep injury isn’t as bad as first feared and he has a chance to come straight back in on Sunday against Castleford.
Sironen left the field mid-way through the first half of Sunday’s defeat with Woolf admitting it looked like a similar injury to that of Jonny Lomax, but his scan has come back much more positive.
Woolf continued: “Curtis has come up a little more positive and the initial fears were that it was a ‘Jonny Lomax type’ injury with a ruptured bicep.
“But the scans have come back a lot more positive and it is looking like a minor injury. He is not nailed on for playing this week, but he has a real chance.
“Like we have done a number of times, while this week is important, it is the end game that is the goal. We will make sure he is 100 per cent before we throw him out there and when we do we certainly back him.”
The boss also confirmed that Tommy Makinson will return to the squad on Sunday, live on Channel 4.
“We get Tommy Makinson back and it will be great to get him back in. We know what he offers with his carries, his ability to finish things and a real positive energy and desire for the contest.
“From those that were missing before the Salford game, he is the only one that is going to return this week.”
The Saints will still be without Will Hopoate and Mark Percival through injury, whilst Sione Mata’utia will serve the final match of his three game suspension.
Like Grace, Lewis Dodd is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles.
Woolf will name his squad at midday on Friday.
