Elliot Minchella's coy injury update as Hull KR captain chases Challenge Cup return

Elliot Minchella was giving nothing away as he provided an update on his race against time to feature in the Challenge Cup semi-final. The Hull KR captain was not selected for their clash with Warrington Wolves due to a groin issue and is a doubt for Rovers' cup showdown with Wigan Warriors next Saturday.

Minchella, an important cog in the Hull KR side, suffered the injury during the club's victory over St Helens last weekend and while he did play through the pain, he was eventually forced from the field and then not risked at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Thursday night.

Coach Willie Peters has expressed optimism regarding the loose-forward's chances of featuring in Doncaster, suggesting he had more confidence in his captain featuring than Sam Luckley, who is awaiting the results of a scan to determine the extent of a wrist injury he has suffered.

Speaking to Rugby League Live, Minchella was asked if it was possible he wouldn't be able to feature and he simply said "I hope not," with a grin on his face. "We'll see, I'm not sure. But hopefully I'll be good to go.

"I just have to see how it settles down. It was a short turnaround and I wouldn't have been able to do my job. I didn't want to take someone's spot who could play 100% and let the team down. If you can't do your job, you've got to let someone else do it.

"You want to play every game, especially the big games, and it was a massive test. They're a really good team, so it's frustrating, but we have a massive week next week and I've got to be positive, it's a massive test next week so we've to pick the boys up. We've got a big opportunity next week."

He will now focus on recovery, with his next assessment to take place on Monday.

"I've spent a lot of time with the physios. I'll be doing some recovery over the weekend and on Monday we will see where we're at and what I can and can't do."

Click here - Get the latest news on our Rugby League Live WhatsApp channel