GIANTS chief Nathan Brown is facing an anxious wait on two fronts in the wake of yesterday’s bruising 14-10 Super League XV home defeat to Warrington Wolves.
Centre Michael Lawrence was placed on report for an alleged spear tackle on Simon Grix in the 57th minute and could be hauled in front of RFL disciplinary chiefs tomorrow night if they believe he has a case to answer.
But Brown is also waiting for news on second-row forward Graeme Horne, who was forced off the field in the closing stages with a neck injury.
While the Huddersfield head coach is confident Lawrence will have no case to answer, Brown has admitted he is concerned over the health of Horne.
“Yesterday’s match was tough and we’ve got our fair share of bumps and bruises, as you’d expect from a contest like that,” said Brown.
“And, at this stage, it’s not looking too good for Graeme.
“He’s in a fair bit of pain with his neck injury and he’s now having to undergo tests to assess the full extent of the damage. We’re just hoping for the best.
“That’s also the way we’re looking at it with Michael going on report.
“I know why the referee stopped the game to have a word with Michael and (captain) Brett Hodgson.
“But to the naked eye, I didn’t think the challenge was that bad. I thought a penalty would have been sufficient.
“In fact, it was a challenge that summed up a physical contest against good opposition.
“Last year, we would not have done half as well in this sort of battle.
Click here for a gallery of action shots from Huddersfield Giants v Warrington
“It shows that we’ve improved as a team, although we know there’s still a lot of work for us to do.
“Both sides were up for the fight but I thought there was also a reasonable amount of good play.”
