SAINTS lost second row Matt Whitley during the course of their 40-20 defeat at Hull KR.

It was too early for coach Paul Wellens to give a full assessment of the packman’s injury – but he was seen having treatment to his shoulder before leaving the fray.

Wellens said: “I think it's a bit of a shoulder issue.

“I'm not too sure at the moment, so it's something that we'll have to get checked out, but we are hoping it's not too serious.

“We'll have to wait and see.”

Tommy Makinson missed the game after contracting chicken pox, but he will hopefully be back in contention for next week’s trip to Castleford.

Wellens said: “Tommy feels absolutely fine. His body is covered in spots and the doctor said obviously it can be contagious and it is imperative that he stays away.

“So we obviously followed protocol there.

“He's more than likely going to train with us on Monday and hopefully will be back in contention to play next week.”

Wellens did not rule out making other changes to his side after seeing them downed 40-20 at Hull KR.

He was particularly unhappy with the defensive efforts.

“When you pull this jersey, you've got a responsibility to perform.

“The people outside the squad are desperate for opportunities, and have not quite got them.

“I'm not going to jump in and make knee-jerk reactions off the back of the defeat. I obviously need to watch it back and get a grip of why things happened the way they did, but certainly I am not afraid to make changes.”