Wednesday 18 January 2017 11:46, UK
Salford have suffered a second major injury blow on the eve of the new Betfred Super League season with forward Ben Murdoch-Masila ruled out for around 10 weeks with knee ligament damage.
The 25-year-old former Wests Tigers back rower, who was an ever-present in his first campaign in Super League in 2016, sustained the injury in the Red Devils' opening pre-season friendly at Rochdale on Sunday.
Scans have confirmed the worst fears for Salford coach Ian Watson, who said: "It's disappointing to lose Ben at this stage but we all know we are in a game when this kind of thing happens.
"We are a tight-knit squad and all it means is that there is now a chance for somebody to step in and prove themselves. This is what we are looking for the lads to do. There is a starting spot free and a couple more games for somebody to grab it."
Second rower Josh Jones, who played in all but two of his club's 33 games in 2016, is also set to miss the first month of the new season after breaking his hand against Rochdale, but Watson is happy to accept the risks involved in warm-up fixtures.
"Friendly games aren't pointless pre-season match-ups," he added. "The only way to prepare correctly to beat Wigan in the opening game is to play rugby."
Salford's opening league game is against champions Wigan on Saturday, February 11.
