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Rugby League

Injuries stack up for Hull

15/01/2008

Hull face a difficult start to the season after captain Lee Radford and second-row Richard Whiting were ruled out for the Super League opening.

The Black and Whites also have a major worry over key half-back Richard Horne after he picked up a foot injury in training.

Huddersfield beat Hull 30-22 in a testimonial clash on Sunday but the three injuries sustained in the encounter and its build-up will concern coach Peter Sharp more than the defeat.

Radford will be out for at least eight weeks after breaking his thumb in the clash while Whiting is sidelined for four months with a broken arm.

The pair both underwent operations on their injuries on Monday and will stay at home to recover while the rest of the squad jets out to Portugal for warm-weather training.

Great Britain international Horne could miss the entire season after a ligament in his foot that became disconnected from the bone proved unresponsive to treatment.

The 25-year-old will undergo a scan to establish how much longer he is likely to be out.

"Without pushing the panic button, he could be medium to long-term," said Sharp.

There are also other problems to be assessed with new signing Shaun Berrigan struggling with a shoulder injury sustained in the Giants defeat.

The Australian hooker is also due for a scan as Sharp accepts that it may be some time before he can pencil in a line-up for the visit to Warrington on February 8th that marks the start of their season.

"Hopefully by the end of the week we will have a better idea of the full extent of our injuries," he said.