Injured Gillam set for hospital scan

ROUGHYEDS winger John Gillam is to have a scan on the shoulder he damaged in a Northern Rail Cup tie against his former club Hornets at Sedgley Park more than five weeks ago.

He made a comeback in the Reserve team at Keighley on March 4 only to suffer a recurrence of the injury.

“I’m just bitterly disappointed and frustrated,” said the former Oldham St Anne’s, Hornets and Blackpool Panthers winger, who was playing only his second game for the club when he was hurt.

Back-row forward Kashley Watkins, another new signing this season, is also cursing his bad luck.

He broke a wrist in his first game - a pre-season run-out at Batley in January and he is still sidelined two months later, having had the plaster removed and then put back on for another three weeks.

Chris Clarke, who suffered a similar injury in the narrow Northern Rail Cup defeat by Championship side Sheffield Eagles on February 22, was due to have his plaster removed today.

Coach Tony Benson has so many players currently having treatment that he has welcomed the break that sees his Championship One table-toppers out of action until the derby clash at Hornets RL on Good Friday.

The next home game is against Workington Town on Easter Monday — two games in four days that will require a reasonably clean bill of health going into the holiday weekend fixtures.

Ben Heaton, who was knocked out in last Friday’s impressive 29-16 win at Hunslet Hawks, and Matty Ashe, who received a painful poke in the eye, suffered no serious damage and are now fully recovered.

Under treatment are Neil Roden (ankle), Jason Boults (shoulder), Paul O’Connor (shoulder and broken finger), Valu Bentley (shoulder), Paul Reilly (knee), Lucas Onyango (knee) and Danny Whitmore (ankle).