They say rugby league is the greatest game of all, but it might also be the toughest game of all as well and James Roby is certainly one of the toughest players around.
Despite being in the twilight of his career, James Roby is still exceptional and his try in the Challenge Cup semi-final, which for one moment looked set to be the winner, summed that up perfectly.
But if ever you wanted to see the character of the man epitomised, he did that last night as St Helens beat Hull FC 24-10.
There is perhaps no side in Super League as mentally tough as St Helens and that’s why they’ve won the title three years in a row.
Their line speed also shows an exceptional level of toughness as they fight back against fatigue to pin opponents in their own end and this is all inspired by some huge characters on the field including James Roby.
Last night, Roby went down with a finger injury which was later revealed to be a dislocation. The trainer came on the field and instantly Roby had popped the finger back in and carried on.
The moment was discussed after the game by Jon Wells and Tommy Makinson and Sky Sports who have since shared it to Twitter:
St Helens' James Roby pops a DISLOCATED finger back in and plays on! 🤢 pic.twitter.com/WWV05rC6Nt
— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) May 13, 2022
On the moment, his teammate Makinson said: “He is incredible, everything about him is what we want to be as a team.”
This isn’t the only time we’ve seen this from Super League stars. Joe Westerman famously tried to put back a dislocated knee in a Hull derby in 2019 whilst Kevin Sinfield put back a dislocated finger in a 2013 win over Catalans.
Rugby league players certainly are the toughest athletes around.
