Saturday 25 January 2020 12:12, UK
Hull KR will provide stricken captain Mose Masoe with a live feed of their Super League matches in 2020 to enable him to watch the team from his hospital bed.
The 30-year-old Samoan prop continues to receive treatment for a serious spinal injury sustained in a pre-season friendly that has brought his career to a sudden and tragic end.
Masoe was appointed as Rovers' captain, alongside Weller Hauraki, before both men were injured in the same game at Wakefield a fortnight ago and he will continue to provide inspiration to his team-mates, according to coach Tony Smith.
Smith said: "Mose has been such a big part of our group. He is still our captain and he's sending messages from his hospital bed to wish the team well for the start of the season.
"And he'll continue to do those sort of things throughout the season.
"We'll give him a live feed to the games so he can watch and give us messages pre and post-game.
"All the players remain very close to him."
Hull KR and Masoe, who also played in Super League for St Helens, have been overwhelmed by the response to a fund set up to help the player and his young family.
League sponsors Betfred announced at the season launch on Friday that they will donate the £250 man of the match prize at televised matches in 2020 to Rob Burrow, who is battling motor neurone disease, and add a second prize of £250 to the Masoe fund.
"When things like this happen, we do come together like one big community," said Smith, who believes the loss of the popular front-rower will have a galvanising effect on his players this year.
"It's just happened naturally," he said. "It's what you do. After your own family, it's your next family and you look out for one another, you inspire one another and help one another when it's tough.
"In my time I've never had to deal with an injury or adversity like this one but I've got to say the spirit of the players has been exceptional."
In the absence of both Masoe and Hauraki, who will be out for up to three months with an ankle injury, Smith has handed the captaincy to new signing Shaun Kenny-Dowall, the former New Zealand international who says the team will be playing for Masoe in 2020.
"Obviously I didn't plan on that coming my way but I'll be doing as much as I can for the boys," said Kenny-Dowall.
"It's been great to see the way the club has banded together, it shows the quality of people that we have in the organisation.
"We can use that to our advantage to band together as a team and as a squad and take that out onto the pitch every week.
"We will be playing for Mose every week. Tony has made it clear he's still a big part of the team and he's going to keep him on as captain so that's motivation enough for us to give our all every week."
