Tuesday 13 October 2020 21:15, UK
Salford coach Ian Watson admits he will most likely be forced to change his Challenge Cup final team after the club was hit by coronavirus.
The Red Devils have received positive Covid-19 tests for two players and were forced to stand down two others after their results proved inconclusive, just four days out from their Wembley showdown with Leeds.
Salford also say they had eight players ruled out through injury but went ahead with Tuesday's Super League fixture against Hull KR at Warrington, which the Red Devils lost 24-22, "in order to preserve the integrity of the competition".
Salford cancelled training sessions on both Sunday and Monday in an effort to prevent any further spread and Watson says he is unlikely to organise any contact training before Saturday's final.
Watson gave a debut to hooker Connor Aspey against Rovers and fielded just six members of his likely Wembley line-up, with Krisnan Inu a deliberately-unused substitute.
"Kris wasn't supposed to be on the bench and neither was Luke Yates," Watson said. "They both put their hands up to play. We had a bit of a session this morning and a couple got injured.
"We've had a lot of disruption. We've not been able to train since the Huddersfield game last Thursday and this is supposed to be one of the best weeks of their careers.
"But no-one has complained. We've had to have two days at home and we thought the game was going to end up having to be cancelled but we rolled it well and I can't speak highly enough of the boys at the moment.
"It may affect the Challenge Cup final team now but I'm really confident, whatever team we put out, we are going there to win."
Four times Watson's patched-up side fought back to level the match, and they had a chance to go in front after a 77th-minute try from winger Ed Chamberlain on his first appearance of the season.
But Chamberlain could not convert his own try and Ellis kicked a penalty just before the end to halt their five-match winning run.
"I thought we were great, the boys showed character," Watson added. "We very nearly pinched a win."
The victory ended Rovers' five-match losing run and was inspired by the presence of co-captain Mose Masoe, who attended his first game since suffering a serious injury in a pre-season friendly in January.
"He's a real inspiration," said Smith. "All the boys love him. He has had a huge impact on us this year and he continues to help us and influence in the right way."
Smith revealed that he, too, almost never made it to the game as he waited for the results of a Covid-19 test.
"I changed my team four times since yesterday," he said. "I'm glad we won because I can say these are hard circumstances and it's hats off to all the players involved and many of the staff as well.
"The team that trained on Sunday was nothing like the one you saw today. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to come today. I only got cleared this morning."
