ANDY RALEIGH’S place in the Giants side for Saturday’s pre-season trip to St Helens is in the hands of the club’s medical staff.
The 29-year-old back-row forward was forced off the field with a badly-cut eye during the early stages of his side’s 24-16 triumph over Wakefield Trinity Wildcats at Belle Vue last weekend.
Raleigh has revealed he needed 16 stitches in the wound, with club doctor Amit Pannu having to spend 30 minutes repairing the damage.
Despite the injury, Raleigh is still desperate to play against Saints, with the side for the Giants’ Super League XVI opener against Warrington Wolves in Cardiff as part of the Magic Weekend on February 12 expected to be chosen from those who feature on Saturday.
But the Huddersfield-born pack man is resigned to the fact his selection is completely out of his hands.
“The cut I got at Wakefield was a bad one,” revealed Raleigh (right), who was one of just five senior Huddersfield players who helped beat the Wildcats’ strongest available Super League line-up.
“It was simply down to a clash of heads as I made a tackle, so there was nothing I could do about it.
“But the cut was a bad one. It was down to the bone and I needed stitches both inside and outside the eyelid to repair the damage.
“As a result, it’s going to be touch and go as to whether I play this weekend. If it was up to me I’d be out there, but if our medical team decide at the end of the week that it’s too much of a risk then that’s me out.
“I know that call would seriously threaten my chances of playing in the opening League game against Warrington, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
“It’s going to be another long, hard season, so I hope I don’t have to wait too long before I get my chance if it’s not in the opener.”
