Woolf Q&A: Morgan Knowles update and filling Matty Lees void

MC: First up - how have Morgan Knowles’ scan results come back?

KW: Morgan will be back in a couple of weeks. He has got his scans all positive and it is a matter of re-introducing everything because he has not held a footy for a long time.

He has to get back into doing some skills and developing that side again and into doing some contact and making sure we are preparing his body for what he has to go though in a game.

MC: With Matty Lees out for a spell you will be leaning on Kyle Amor and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook there?

KW: I have been really happy with what they are doing we are leaning on them more than we have in other games. It’s great to have them both there for their experience and knowhow how to get through games and win games.

They are enjoying the fact that they are getting greater responsibility at the minute.

Louie was great starting last week and when he came back on his leg speed helped us again.

The last couple of weeks have been some of the best footy I have seen Kyle play since I have been here.

He is a smart player with a skillset that really helps him and he gets a lot of the little details right that makes him effective with and without the ball.

MC: Louie’s speed works well in tandem with Big Al’s approach?

KW: It is a good combination and not too different to the way I was thinking with Matty Lees earlier in the year as he has some real leg speed too.

We know Matty is tough and has punch in his carries but he defends and carries with speed, Al is a bit different although he likes to think he’s fast too mind you. Al is effective in different ways and Louie gives us a similar sort of balance.

MC: With Matty out for a spell, Dan Norman (right) must be getting ready to be next cab off the ranks?

KW: Dan will be in our 21 again this week. When we name them there that means they are close to playing. I have been really happy with Dan and the way he is coming along. He has a terrific work ethic about him and positivity.

It is important that we remember that all those blokes on the fringes are doing it tough because they don’t get to play reserves and are missing out on footy and it almost feels like they are doing pre-seasons all the time.

They train all week but don’t play on Friday but are back in for conditioning the next day.

It is a tough life without the fun element of footy but Dan has been doing a terrific job and is coming along really well.

MC: You have had Josh Simm out on loan at Leigh, has he returned to the club?

KW: Josh has come back into the group. The rules are that they go out in a two-week block. He has trained with the squad today and we need to re-integrate back into the group.

MC: With there being no reserves is this the best system we have got to get lads gametime?

KW: It is the only way we can get those blokes gamettime. We know in six or seven weeks' time when we have internationals on and short turnarounds, three games in 11 days and five in 20 days in one period, then we will need the whole sud to stand up and they are all going to get the opportunities that they are looking for.

What is important and is a balancing act at the minute is getting blokes bits of footy. That is the whole idea of Josh Eaves, Josh Simm and Matty Foster all going out.

We are going to continue doing that and get guys opportunities elsewhere. It is also important because at the moment we have 24 blokes available for our squad - every squad is the same. But it is really important that we don't leave ourselves short because it only tkes one or two injuries and that caan happen really quickly and we need to have blokes here to fill those spots.  

MC: So that is obviously the thinking behind Josh Eaves to Wakefield and Nico Rizzelli to Swinton?

KW: It makes sense for those guys to get some rugby league. It is opportunity for Josh t Wakefield to continue his development because he is a talented young player.

He gets to continue his development playing Super League and that is a real win for us from that point of view, it's a win for Wakefield because they get a good tough competitor in Josh Eaves.

MC: With Nico going to part-time Swinton does he continue to train at Saints in the day?

KW: Dual reg is not allowed any more, whether Championship or Super League we have to loan them out for a  two-week period. Nico will be a Swinto player for two weeks and then come back into our club.

There will be be days where he has to train on his own (because Swinton are part-time) but we will have to help him with some programmes.