SAINTS new recruit Will Hopoate missed the win over Hull FC after not recovering from a rib cartilage injury.

The versatile Tongan international, who played wing in round one, picked up the knock in the win over Catalans.

In his place yesterday Josh Simm stepped in a scored two tries and performed well – which will give the coach Kristian Woolf re-assurance that they do not need to rush Hopoate back if he is not fit.

Woolf said: "Early in the week we thought Will might be OK but he did not improve the way we thought he would.

"It is Round 2 and a fracture of the rib cartilage and one of those injuries that you get put in a bad position with and that can hang around for a while and get worse.

"The smart decision there was to give him a break, and when you have Josh Simm sitting there who has done a great job in pre-season it made sense.

"It is more likely that he will be able to play next week and it is more that it didn’t settle as we’d have liked.

“It is one that we’ll have to look at in the coming days.

“We’ll figure that out but I expect he will be available.”