'It was scary': Castleford Tigers' ex-Leeds Rhinos and Wakefield Trinity man hospitalised with shock injury
Castleford Tigers hooker Liam Hood is expected to be discharged from hospital today (Wednesday) after a “scary” injury which could keep him off the field for several months.
The 34-year-old former Leeds Rhinos and Wakefield Trinity man missed last Friday’s 50-10 home loss to Hull FC and coach Ryan Carr revealed he had suffered serious neck damage during the previous week’s shock win at Wigan Warriors. “It is real bad, I was really scared for him,” Carr said at his preview press conference today ahead of tomorrow’s visit to Hull KR.
“It is a huge blow for our rugby league club and team because he is such an influential player for us, such a leader on and off the field. Every time he has played this year we have played really well, but his health and safety and welfare is the most important thing right now.
“He is improving a lot and getting there, but [it was] quite scary. We have got to make sure we get him right in that area first and we don’t worry about rugby league.”
Remarkably, Hood completed the game at Wigan and didn’t realise he was hurt until the following day. Carr reported: “The amount of ligament damage he had in his neck, they [medics] were amazed he hadn’t broken his neck.
“They haven’t really seen someone do that much damage, but not break it. It was a really weird scenario; he finished the game, got off the bus, went home, picked up his daughter, had dinner with his mum and dad, went home, fed his daughter, put her to bed and just woke up with it.
“It’s a strange one that it wasn’t an acute injury during the game, something happened and it flared up real bad the next morning. It sort of caught us all off guard.”
Former Rhinos player Brad Dwyer has been brought in on a one-week loan from Championship side Salford for Thursday’s game. On-loan Leeds Rhinos man Tom Nicholson-Watton and new signings Tyler Dupree and Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e are also set to make their debut.
Assessing the likely length of Hood’s layoff, Carr said: “It is a part of the body you don’t mess around with, I am never, ever going to rush that stuff back. It’s whatever it takes, but he’s looking at a few months, I reckon.
“He is still in hospital, he has been in and out, but we are hopeful he’ll get discharged today, based on a few more tests and how some things go. He is in the best hands there.
“It has been a week and a half now, but he is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever coached, if not the toughest. For him to be in that much pain is really scary, because he has got a high pain threshold and he never whinges about anything.
“It is unfortunate for him because he had a knee operation and worked so hard to get back in that Wigan game. He came back and played big minutes, with no running under his belt and found a way to find us a win and competed so hard for us, then the next day he has that. I feel really bad for him.”
Tigers picked up three additional injuries against Hull, as well as a two-match ban for George Lawler. Carr confirmed: "George Hirst failed his hia [head injury assessment] so he’s out, Jack [Ashworth] picked up a neck impingement and Jenson [Windley] had a back injury. We have a few in the wars.”