SAINTS are resigned to losing scrum half Matty Smith for a lengthy period.

The club are awaiting specialist reports before confirming the full extent of the injury or whether it was broken, but coach Keiron Cunningham anticipates losing the new linchpin for a significant period.

Cunningham also hit out at the challenge that caused the injury and said they have cited the Widnes prop Manase Manuokafoa.

Cunningham said: “Last night’s initial results were not great and we are going to get them over to a specialist today.

“He is going to be out for a period but at this stage we don’t know how long. There is an injury there but we don’t want to speak too soon before we have it nailed on.

“It is not good for the immediate future, but it is not season ending.”

The incident occurred in the last play of the half – and to add insult to injury Cunningham revealed that Smith had been scheduled to come off at half time.

But he was fuming about tackle that led to the injury.

He said: “It was absolutely disgusting. It was a tackle that I have been trying to get out-lawed for three years and we have lost two more players with broken legs and three or four with syndesmosis with that tackle.

“Matty has not even got the ball and the tackle coincides with the player he passes to – Morgan Knowles – getting tackled. That is how late Manuokafoa’s tackle was.

“He grabs hold of Matty’s shoulders and loses his legs. You can see Manuokafoa’s boots - his feet are so far off the ground and he then drops all of his 120 kilos onto Matty’s ankles.

“It is harder to do that than to push him off the ball.

“We have cited him, so we will imagine he’ll be up on a charge this week. Whether there was malice or not it is horrendous. If you think Boudebza’s tackle on Michael Shenton last year was bad, this is ten times worse.

“I just hope someone at the league stands up.”

Saints have gifted youngster Danny Richardson, who played well during his lengthy stint on Sunday, to call upon.

In the past they have filled the gap with Jon Wilkin and this season they also have hooker Tommy Lee who has also played in the halves earlier in his career.

Cunningham said: “It is something we are used to at this club, losing some important players but we have plenty of decent players around the juniors and sat on the sidelines.

“We have lot of different options that we might have to go play with over the next couple of weeks and see what works best for the team and works best for the immediate future.”