Why Paul Rowley was ‘unsure’ over HIA as Salford Red Devils’ man ruled out for St Helens clash

Salford Red Devils coach Paul Rowley confirmed one of his players failed a HIA against Hull FC, however, he’s questioned the initial call.

The Red Devils handed debuts to four loanees with Castleford Tigers’ hooker/loose forward Cain Robb being one of those, having joined Salford on an initial two-week loan.

Sadly, Robb failed a head injury assessment (HIA) on Sunday in the 38-6 loss against Hull FC and that has ruled him out for the upcoming game against St Helens, effectively ending the loan in its current terms.

Of course, that loan could be extended but as it stands, Robb won’t play again for Salford – something that Paul Rowley will be regretting given how he praised the young forward.

“I thought he was great. I’ve always been a big admirer of Cain,” Rowley explained post-match.

“He’s a disruptor in defence because he’s got good line speed and he’s keen to run because he’s got good leg speed.

“I thought he was doing some great things for us early doors and it was unfortunate that he had to come off with a split head.”

Salford Red Devils lose loanee to HIA as Rowley fields HMRC questions

Leaving the field for a HIA, it was confirmed that Robb had failed it but Rowley noted that he was “unsure” about the decision initially based on what he saw.

“I was unsure about that because I thought they (Hull FC) actually pushed him,” he said, referencing the moment Robb came out of contact.

He explained: “The doctor ruled him out and said it was category A (HIA) because he stumbled but if you actually look at it then I’m convinced that they actually push him out of the ruck.

“I’m not sure that he stumbled but ultimately, we’ve got good people here who look after the lads so he will miss out (next week) but he’s in good hands.”

Whilst there’s uncertainty over whether Robb did or did not stumble, the doctor’s verdict of a failed HIA stands which means he won’t be available for Salford’s next game, which comes on Sunday against St Helens.

By then, we’ll hopefully know far more about Salford’s financial situation with the club set for a HMRC hearing on Thursday regarding unpaid debts.

Rowley batted those questions away when asked on Sky Sports, insisting that he didn’t know, and he said similar in his post-match presser.

The Salford coach responded: “Someone mentioned that but honestly, I don’t really… What will happen will just happen, we’ll just crack on and be consistent.

“It doesn’t enter our team room, we just stay consistent. Consistent for us is that we turn up, enjoy ourselves, practice hard and prepare well.”

Asked if players had mentioned it, he confirmed: “Not in front of us. Our room is consistent.”