Setback for Leeds Rhinos' Harry Newman as England centre faces longer on sidelines

The 21-year-old suffered a broken tibia and fibula in a win over Hull KR at Warrington last September and his hopes of resuming contract training were dashed by the result of a scan this week.

That revealed the wound has not healed as quickly as expected and Newman, who is a member of England’s elite training squad, will now have to wait for another scan in six weeks’ time.

He had been hopeful of featuring in the home game against St Helens on June 11 and coach Richard Agar admitted: “It is frustrating for him.”

He said: “We were all systems go, but it is such an injury that if it is not healed properly and it goes again, then we have got major problems.

“It’s not like it wasn’t a major problem anyway, but I’m talking major, major problems that could put question marks on his career.”

The setback is a blow for Rhinos, but Agar said they are looking at the “bigger picture” and will not rush him back before he is fully ready.

“We said all along we were going to take this slowly,” he insisted.

“The speed of the healing probably just hasn’t gone as it did early doors.

“It healed really well, really quickly and has now just tapered off a little bit.

“Harry had a bit of a setback and disappointment, but that’s purely in time.

“It’s not that there’s any complications with the injury - absolutely not.

“It’s just the speed in which the bone is healing and knitting together.

“It’s such a big traumatic injury but we always said for Harry it’s the bigger picture - the 10 years he has after this.”

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