Bradford Bulls hit by injury wave ahead of Leigh Leopards trip
Bradford Bulls will be without vice-captain Ryan Sutton for Friday's trip to Leigh Leopards after the forward suffered ligament damage to his thumb.
Head coach Kurt Haggerty confirmed the injury is to the ligaments rather than a fracture, offering hope of a swift return. Sutton could be back in contention for Bradford's game against Toulouse Olympique on August 29, according to BBC Sport.
Sutton's absence is a blow on two fronts. The forward has been attracting interest from rival clubs, Haggerty acknowledged in June, and the Bulls will want their vice-captain back on the pitch to strengthen their case for keeping him.
The casualty list does not stop with Sutton. Full-back Luke Hooley is rated 50/50 for the Leigh fixture after picking up a knee injury in Saturday's defeat to Wigan Warriors. Half-back Joe Mellor faces the same uncertain status — Haggerty described both as touch-and-go for Friday.
Forward Phoenix Steinwede will definitely miss out after failing a head injury assessment — the protocol Rugby League uses to check players for concussion, which rules them out for a minimum stand-down period.
In better news for Bradford, centre Waqa Blake is available again after recovering from a knee problem, and hooker Ebon Scurr returns following illness. Both bolster a squad that has been stretched thin in recent weeks.
The Bulls' injury troubles have been building across a punishing stretch. Connor Wynne and Guy Armitage were also hurt in a 40-16 defeat to Hull KR, as Love Rugby League reported at the end of July. That run of games has tested Haggerty's squad depth to its limits.
For Friday, the equation is straightforward enough. Bradford travel to Leigh needing points, with a patched-up side and a bench shaped by necessity. The return of Blake and Scurr helps. The loss of Sutton, and potentially Hooley and Mellor, hurts. How it balances out will shape whether the Bulls return from the Leigh Sports Village with anything to show for the journey.
