Super League coach’s ‘voodoo doll’ comment as two players ruled out until 2025

Huddersfield Giants interim head coach Luke Robinson has confirmed that two more of his players have picked up season-ending injuries.

Robinson has made two changes to his Huddersfield 21-man squad this week to take on Catalans Dragons in Super League, with Adam Clune and Matty English dropping out of the fold this week through injury. The fitness of Harvey Livett comes as a much-needed boost and Robinson has moved to allay fears of a long-term lay-off for Clune.

However, he hasn’t been able to do the same for fringe players Connor Carr and Jack Bibby, who have both been ruled out for the remainder of the 2024 campaign. Bibby has spent much of this season at Dewsbury Rams, but has been in and around the first-team picture at the John Smith’s Stadium in recent weeks.

Carr, on the other hand, has been with Bradford, but along with Bibby he will play no further part this season with the pair’s hopes of featuring for the Giants over the final seven rounds of Super League over.

“We had some disappointing news about Connor Carr,” Robinson said during his press conference on Wednesday. “He’s been out of the vast majority of the season and been very unlucky. He’s got big raps and we were looking forward to him progressing.

“He played really well for Bradford, but he’d just come back after a few months off, went training with Bradford, slipped and it looks like he’s out for the season with his shoulder. I don’t know if someone has stepped on a voodoo doll this year.

“Another one as well is Jack Bibby. He did his knee last week so he’s out for the season as well. He was the 18th man and not far off playing the last three weeks. He’s been very close and doing some decent stuff with Dewsbury and he was one I was probably going to give an opportunity to but he’s out now as well.”

He added: “Clune is positive news, as in he’s not done for the season, it’s more of three or four weeks.”