ST HELENS coach Royce Simmons may be forced to field an unrecognisable team for today’s home game against Castleford after the club’s injury crisis worsened in the wake of Friday’s 28-24 defeat at Wigan.

Saints went into their derby clash without six regulars and lost full-back Paul Wellens and half-back Gary Wheeler after half-an-hour.

Wheeler is facing a lengthy lay-off after damaging the acromioclavicular joint in his shoulder while Wellens is definitely out of today’s match after aggravating a heel injury.

“He was one of quite a few players who had needles before the game,” revealed Simmons. “We took the risk and it didn’t work.

“He won’t be right for a couple of days and there’s probably another two or three who won’t be right.

“Gary Wheeler’s done his ac joint so he’ll be out for a long time and that’s our third half-back sitting on the sidelines. We’ve only got four so Jonny Lomax is pretty sure of getting a run.

“There are a few boys playing in the Under-20s who might get a surprise I think.”

St Helens are resigned to losing England international James Graham, who is close to signing a three-year deal with Canterbury Bulldogs, according to reports in Australia.

Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg said: “We are still negotiating and hopefully we can get him. It’s close but we haven’t agreed yet.”

“I’ve spoken to him at length on many occasions trying to get him to stay,” said Simmons.

“He loves this club. He’d love to pick this club up and drop it into the middle of the NRL for a year and have a go. He can’t do that, so if the challenge is there burning away at him, you look him in the eyes and shake his hand and say ‘go and do your best’, don’t you? You find it hard to make an argument.

“He’s won a lot of things here – cups and man of steel – and he wants a bit of a challenge.

“If he decides to stay, well that’s a big bonus for us.”

Warrington have confirmed scrum-half Richie Myler sustained a fractured cheekbone in Friday’s 60-0 win over Salford.

The 20-year-old England international, who has been an ever-present this season, will see a specialist today but is expected to be out for six to eight weeks.

Warrington are set to switch Michael Monaghan from hooker to scrum-half for the visit of Hull tomorrow, when threequarter Matt King is expected to make his comeback from a knee injury. Warrington, who took advantage of the defeat of all three teams above them on Friday to take over at the top of the table, host Hull, a team they have beaten in each of their last six meetings.

“They’ve had some tough fixtures so far and some injury issues at times but they are battling hard and have not been far off in some hard-fought games,” said Wolves coach Tony Smith.