Keiron Cunningham hits back at Tony Smith over Ben Evans injury

St Helens coach Keiron Cunningham has accused his Warrington counterpart Tony Smith of talking "garbage" by suggesting the injury that has sidelined Welsh prop Ben Evans for four months was the result of foul play.

Evans suffered a ruptured hamstring as a result of a "wishbone-type" tackle in which his legs were pulled apart during the Wolves' 32-24 defeat by the Super League champions at Langtree Park last Thursday.

The Rugby Football League's match-review panel on Monday announced there would be no action taken against any Saints players, but Smith used the post-match press conference to call for the tackle to be outlawed.

"It has been brought to the attention of the RFL to have a look at these type of tackles," Smith told journalists.

"So far we have no rules in place to protect our players. Leg-lifting, and in particular, single leg-lifting, is a really unnecessary style of tackle and for Ben it is a pretty poor outcome."

Cunningham hit back on Monday, accusing the former England and Great Britain coach of "sour grapes".

"I think it's absolutely ridiculous how a coach of his calibre can come out with such garbage," Cunningham told a press conference at the club's training ground.

"I respect Tony highly as a person and as a coach, but something I am totally anti is trying to purposely injury players.

"There are certain teams in this competition who cannonball people and hit people in the head.

"That for me was unfortunate. I think it was totally unprofessional of Tony to be honest. It was just an unfortunate tackle that happened. It looks like sour grapes from Tony to me. I think if you ask Tony now, he would be a bit different about it."

Cunningham, who has guided St Helens to six straight wins in his first season as head coach, added: "None of my players intentionally go out to do anything to anybody. That just isn't how I am as a coach. If a player did that, then he wouldn't be playing the week after.

"It's unfortunate that it's happened and it's happened to my players this year, I just don't go into the press (conference) whinging about it.

"It's rugby league, it's a contact sport."

Meanwhile, Saints look certain to be without in-form second rower Joe Greenwood for Friday's trip to Hull KR after he damaged an elbow in the match against Warrington.

"He's got to see a specialist and we'll see what he has to say," said Cunningham, who is also waiting to discover the extent of the major knee injury sustained by full-back Jonny Lomax at Wakefield earlier this month.