Mikey Lewis has failed a head injury assessment in an injury blow to Hull KR. The current Man of Steel went off in the 28th minute after an incident including Leeds Rhinos’ Harry Newman and did not pass the protocols in place to ensure players are safe to return to the field.
Rovers successfully contested the on-field decision to give a knock on against Lewis, instead earning a penalty for head contact by the Leeds Rhinos centre. Arthur Mourgue kicked the penalty to extend their lead to eight points.
But it meant Lewis was forced to miss the rest of the game against the Rhinos and he will now have to go through return to play protocols which automatically rule him out of next week’s game against Leigh Leopards.
It’s a blow for Rovers, who moved Jez Litten into the halves in Lewis’ absence, with Micky McIlorum playing big minutes on his return to action after making his first appearances since the Challenge Cup final.
Next week, Rovers have the option to recall Danny Richardson or run with Litten in the halves, which would likely pave the way for Bill Leyland to reclaim his spot on the bench after dropping out of the side for McIlorum’s return.