Warrington Wolves Coach Burgess Empathizes with Injured Playmaker Leon Hayes
Warrington Wolves coach Sam Burgess expressed sympathy for young half-back Leon Hayes, who suffered a serious ankle injury during their 17-12 defeat against Salford Red Devils on Saturday. The 20-year-old academy product was stretchered off the field in the 50th minute following an innocuous-looking tackle, with the full extent of the injury still awaiting confirmation from scans.
“It’s not a great one for him, it’s a tough injury,” Burgess said in his post-match press conference. “We don’t know the full extent, but it’s not looking very good at all.”
The coach revealed that Hayes, who has been earning praise for his performances, was in good spirits despite the loss, which showed the player’s strong character.
Burgess noted that the talented playmaker is currently in the hospital awaiting further assessment, with the coach anticipating a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
“It’s definitely dislocation, and it looks as though it could be a fracture, so it’s not looking good. He’ll be a long time on the sidelines,” Burgess lamented.
Despite the rugby league nature of the sport, the Warrington Wolves coach confessed to being “gutted” for the young player, whom he has a “soft spot” for.
“I’m probably more gutted for him than anyone else. I just didn’t like seeing him look like that,” Burgess added.
The defeat also came at a cost for Salford, as prop King Vuniyayawa failed a head injury assessment and will be unavailable for their upcoming clash with Huddersfield Giants. The Fiji international was unable to return to the field after leaving in the eighth minute, automatically ruling him out of the next fixture as he goes through the return-to-play concussion protocol.
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