York Knights came out on the wrong side of an enthralling 38-30 defeat to Warrington Wolves on Friday night, and now face a wait to see the extent of a key player’s injury.
Jordan Thompson has been crucial for the Knights in their early season form, having played big roles in victories over Hull KR and Hull FC.
However, the 34-year-old could only last the opening 20 minutes this weekend, after suffering what looked like an arm injury.
His exit from the field was a blow to Mark Applegarth’s side, and the boss spoke to the press following the game to confirm why he departed the action.
“I think he [Thompson] has torn his bicep,” revealed the coach. “It looks bigger anyhow, so we’re presuming he’s torn it.
“Jordy couldn’t pass and he just didn’t feel right. We didn’t want to risk him putting him back out there and making it worse than it already seems.
“We’re hoping we’ve caught it early enough, but it’s looking like there’s some sort of bicep injury there.
Paul McShane was forced to move to 13, and play the full 80 minutes, whilst Denive Balmforth saw an hour of action at hooker.
Despite not being the first-choice plan, Applegarth was proud with how both those players performed, especially after playing extended minutes.
“We training a bit this week with Macca [McShane] at 13 if I’m honest with you.
“I really like the idea of having both Denive and Macca on the field, so it was no surprise there.
“I thought Macca did exactly what you’d expect a player like that so do. He just slots in and gets on with the job, doesn’t he?”
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York Knights boss impressed with stellar performance from overseas full-back
In what was a high-scoring affair, both teams’ playmakers were heavily influential in the contest, but in particular it was the full-backs that really stood out.
Both York’s Toa Mata’afa and Wire’s Cai Taylor-Wray had exceptional games, with Applegarth praising both players in his post-match comments.
On his own number one, the coach said: “That’s one of the best performances I’ve seen from Toa in a York shirt.
“I saw a different side to him. We’ve all known it’s in there, and it was good to see him have that confidence to go out there and express himself.”
On Wire’s young wonderkid, Applegarth added: “We knew about Cai Taylor-Wray from last year when he went on loan to Widnes.
“We did a bit of homework on him then and we knew he was an exceptional talent.
“We did a lot of preview on him and how to nullify the threat, but it’s very rare you see lads with that sort of balance and explosive speed, and I think Warrington’s got a genuine superstar in the making there.”
