Woodward’s prop search

Oct 31 2007 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

SATURDAY’S defeat by a powerful and experienced Birkenhead Park side has brought Liverpool St Helens’ season into sharper focus.

Although they were within a point of the visitors with only six minutes to go, Park had dominated up front and commanded most of the territory.

Although pleased that Jan Lourens and Simon Worsley had made successful returns from injury, coach Paul Woodward was preoccupied after the game with mounting problems in the front row.

With hooker Phil Battersby already out for some time with a knee injury, tight head prop Dave Conway – who has exceeded expectations this season – suffered a back injury during the game.

The experienced Tommy Jackson appears to be fighting a losing battle to regain fitness and. Woodward’s problem was made much worse on Monday with the disappointing news that kiwi prop Errol Weston will not now be arriving at Moss Lane this season after all.

This has prompted the LSH coach to put out a call for a tight head prop.

Woodward said: “I know they are a rare commodity but there’s no disguising we are on the lookout.

“We do have some cover from our own colts but as last Saturday showed there’s no substitute for experience.”

Meanwhile there is no let up for the Moss Laners, who travel over to second-placed Huddersfield this weekend.