Saints struggling at half-back

St Helens' half-back worries have reached crisis point with the loss of in-form Jonny Lomax for around five weeks with an ankle injury.

The versatile Lomax, whose form has been a revelation since he switched to scrum-half two months ago in the absence of Bath-bound Kyle Eastmond, sustained ankle ligament damage in Monday's 22-20 win over Castleford.

Hooker Scott Moore, who has experience of both half-back positions, will be sidelined for a similar period with an ankle injury picked up in the same match, while another player with half-back experience, Gary Wheeler, will undergo shoulder surgery on Friday which will keep him out for up to five weeks.

With first-choice half-backs Leon Pryce and Eastmond still on the sidelines - through injury and illness respectively - and promising stand-off Lee Gaskell still recuperating from a fractured ankle, Saints are likely to be without six half-backs for Monday's game at Hull.

Full-back Paul Wellens and forwards Paul Clough and Chris Flannery are other injury absentees, but Saints could have prop Josh Perry back after missing the last three matches with a groin strain.