SAINTS skipper James Roby will have surgery on the shoulder injury that has troubled him at the back end of the season.

The injury, picked up in the game against Wigan, has had an impact on Roby’s role at the business end of the season.

Last week, coach Justin Holbrook tried to limit his game time by taking him out of the firing line for the opening 20 minutes in the semi and by starting with Morgan Knowles.

But now the campaign is over Roby will have an operation – missing the test series with New Zealand – but back in good time for next year.

Holbrook said: “For the back half of the season he has been hanging on with his shoulder. Last year and the first half of this year he was tremendous, particularly all his tackling in the middle.

“But the last six to eight weeks he has not been able to do weights.

“It is tough to defend in the middle of the field and have people running at him all the time, that is why we had to give him a few weeks off to try and get it right.

“He knew he needed surgery after the Wigan game – he copped a knock there and he stayed down.

“It is a six-to-12-week rehab time that he is facing. He will be fine for the start of the season.”

Tommy Makinson, who hurt his ankle in the game, is fine while Jonny Lomax suffered a compound dislocation –similar to what Zeb Taia did. And that won’t keep him out of the test series given it is a one-to-two week recovery period.