Hull KR: Enforcer sidelined for six weeks but boost for star player

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has provided an injury update ahead of his side’s derby day meeting with Hull FC on Good Friday in which he’s revealed one of the club’s key tone-setters will be out for six weeks.

The man in question is Irish international George King with the prop forward having missed Friday’s game against Salford Red Devils due to a hamstring injury.

Peters confirmed to the media in his pre-match presser that the recovery timeline looks set to be around six weeks although there is hope that King could return before then.

The Robins are blessed with a number of powerful forwards though and look set to have all of their other big men available for the clash with Hull FC on Friday as Peters explained: “There’s other things going on but nothing major at the moment.

He added: “Obviously, you’re getting towards round seven and you’re playing six games or whatever it is at the moment. So, you’ve got your bumps and bruises. So, we’ll have to wait for one or two later in the week, which we’ll look at. We’ll obviously make a call later on in the week.”

“There might be certain players that we’ll give them time until captains to run to see where they’re at, but what we’ve done the last couple of weeks has been really positive and I’d expect most of those guys to take the field again.

“There’s a couple of other little concerns as well. I won’t say concerns as such but things that they need to tick off.”

“I’m really confident he’ll play” – Hull KR set for return of star player

Despite a relatively clean bill of health in the forward pack Hull KR will certainly be without centre Oliver Gildart who left the field on a stretcher against Salford Red Devils on Friday night after a huge contact.

It was quickly confirmed by the club that any action was precautionary and that Gildart was in good health aside from the concussion, but Peters has provided an update today confirming the ex-Wigan man’s status.

“He’s in good spirits,” Peters explained, adding: “He’s obviously going through the protocols to return to play so won’t be available this week. He’s been in training and in a good mood and dancing around which is good. So we just got to manage him obviously and he’s just got to pass certain protocols in the next week.”

On the subject of return-to-play protocols, one man who looks set to pass them this week and therefore return for the derby is maverick half-back Mikey Lewis with the Engladn international absent for Friday’s victory.

Lewis copped a stray knee to the head during the wrestle against Huddersfield Giants when ex-FC player Jake Connor kicked out when trying to find his front, leading to Lewis failing a HIA and therefore sitting out for a week.

Peters updated the press on Lewis’ status: “Mikey’s just got to get one more tick off. He has to see the specialist and once we’ve got that, which we’re confident he will, then Mike will be OK for Friday.

“I’m really confident (that he’ll play), obviously, you never know until you get the final approval from the specialist, which we’ll get tonight. At this stage, I’m expecting Mikey to play.”

With Lewis available and the Robins firing at the moment whilst FC have conceded over 100 points in their last two games, it could be a tough watch for those on the West side of the city on Friday. That game can be viewed live on Sky Sports with kick off at 12:30pm.