NEW recruit Jack Owens will start the season at full back with injured pair Jonny Lomax and Shannon McDonnell still recuperating from their injuries.

Coach Keiron Cunningham would not put a time-frame on the return of Lomax and McDonnell, who suffered knee and Achilles injuries respectively.

But neither will be back for the start of Super League XXI, meaning former Widnes man will step into the breach.

Cunningham said: "I have not given Jonny Lomax a time frame - he is coming back off the recurrence of that injury (sustained in March).

"The surgeon said 12 months, which is a ball park figure. When he is ready he will be ready, but he won't be ready for the start of the year.

"We have got some things we need to do with him and will send him out to Ireland on Friday, where there is a facility to use 3-D technology to tell him where he is inferior. He will then be checked again in six weeks and if he is ready he is ready."

Meanwhile McDonnell's recovery from Achilles surgery has not been as quick as the club would have liked.

"He has had a lot of issues with his scar site with infections and has no chance of being ready for the start of the year.

"But his scar has healed and he is back running on the field.

Luckily we have signed Jack Owens - he has been running at full back all the way through pre-season and is a great recruit who we have followed for a while. I was shocked Widnes let him go but that is definitely our gain."

Cunningham explained that a few people have had operations with Adam Swift undergoing surgery on his shoulder after initially thinking it was a pectoral issue.

And Tommy Makinson limped off during the last game of the season, with recovery from that curtailing much of his off season.

Alex Walmsley has had a few things grumbling on, including his lower leg, but he will hopefully play for the last trial game against Widnes on January 24.