Shoulder injury blow for Knights ace Jason Golden (From York Press)

Shoulder injury blow for Knights ace Jason Golden

11:40am Tuesday 5th March 2013 in Sport By Peter Martini, peter.martini@thepress.co.uk

YORK City Knights are steeling themselves for a “huge blow” with marquee signing Jason Golden possibly ruled out for the season.

It has been confirmed that the former Super League player dislocated a shoulder in Friday night’s loss at Sheffield, meaning he will be sidelined for a minimum of a month and potentially the full year depending on the extent of ligament damage.

With Sam Scott and Ed Smith having sat out that match with a back injury and dead leg respectively, and Sam Orange yet to make his debut due to knee surgery, it leaves the Knights currently shorn of their four leading second-rowers.

Boss Gary Thornton was also bracing himself for bad news regarding dual-reg half-back Danny Nicklas, who could be recalled by parent club Hull after the Airlie Birds’ first-choice scrum-half Brett Seymour was involved in a car crash.

Thornton bemoaned a “curse” after the Sheffield match, having also seen captain James Ford rejoin the lengthy injury list, departing in the warm-up with a groin strain. He is hopeful Ford’s injury is short-term, but Golden’s is a major long-term concern.

Said the head coach: “Jason needs to get booked in for a scan to see whether he needs an operation. It depends how bad it is. If he needs an operation, it could be the season. Until it’s scanned it’s difficult to say.

“It’s a massive blow, huge. Jason is one of our more senior players, he’s vice-captain. He offers an awful lot to the team in terms of his attitude and the way he plays.

“He was a marquee signing. The club put a lot of effort into signing him so it would be a huge blow if he’s out long-term. Fingers crossed it’s not as bad as that but my experience of dislocated shoulders is they’re not quick things.”

He added: “We’ll have to see how Sam Scott and Ed Smith are and see who’s available for Workington on Sunday. I don’t know what we’ll do. We have Aaron Lyons, Jack Iley and young Tyler Craig but they’re not experienced back-rowers.”

The Knights expect second-row Dean Hadley to continue on dual-reg from Hull, while the return from injury of Liam Watts at the KC Stadium could see another packman freed up to make a temporary switch to York.

However, the immediate future of Nicklas is in doubt, with Seymour on club leave after being released from hospital.

Thornton, who was to speak to Hull boss Peter Gentle prior to tonight’s training session to see which dual-reg players will be made available this weekend, said: “It might affect the availability of Danny Nicklas if Hull decide to keep him back as cover.”

Meanwhile, the Knights were poised to offer threequarter Jack Latus contract terms tonight following the end of his trial spell.