To say this season has been frustrating for Arthur Mourgue would be an understatement
Hull KR star Arthur Mourgue.
The return of Arthur Mourgue could turn out to be a timely one for Hull KR as they bid to enter the Super League play-offs with wind in their sails.
Mourgue returns to the action this evening after overcoming the fractured thumb he suffered while in action against Hull FC last month.
That was just Mourgue’s sixth appearance of the season after spending much of the campaign on the sidelines with the pec issue he initially picked up against Brisbane Broncos in February before reinjuring it in May.
The full-back has missed another three games since the derby appearance at the MKM Stadium, but he will start at full-back against Warrington Wolves this evening and he’ll be hoping to catch the eye.
Of course, after missing so much rugby this year, Peters has had to temper his immediate expectations for the Frenchman, but he believes he could make a big impact for KR as the play-offs loom.
“The plan was Toulouse, so it’s basically four days earlier,” Peters said on Mourgue’s return. “You always have a game you’re looking at and it can either be this side or that side so Arthur coming back was possibly Warrington or Toulouse. Toulouse was the game said initially but there’s always room between coming back earlier and later.
“This season has been really frustrating for him. There’s injuries you can control and there’s some you can’t.
“He’s had some unlucky injuries there, so he has been frustrated this year but he’s had a really good run throughout his career. He’s played a major part in our success and since he’s come over him and his partner have enjoyed living here and they’re bought into what we’re doing.
“During tough times he needed people around him and the club surrounded him and got him through it but it’s a part of rugby league, that can happen in terms of the injuries he’s had so let’s just hope he can get a run of games now.
“We won’t expect too much tomorrow in his first game back but let’s see how it goes and there’s plenty of upside to where he can get to by the end of the year that’s for sure. He came back and in terms of from the off-season to start a pre-season, I thought he looked the sharpest and I was expecting a really big year from him.
“Unfortunately through injury that’s stopped that but now he has the opportunity to build some confidence and belief back and not just for himself but in his teammates because when Arthur plays we ask a few more questions with the ball.
“They’re different styles of players, him and Jack. Jack does a great job for us no matter where he plays but Arthur is going to get another opportunity to get his conditioning back and skill level and execution, but it probably won’t be there tomorrow like it will in a few weeks.”