Mike Cooper to miss St Helens derby as head coach Matt Peet provides injury latest
Wigan Warriors will be without Mike Cooper for at least this week’s home derby against rivals St Helens after the veteran prop failed his head injury assessment in the opening exchanges against Leigh Leopards.
The 35-year-old forward was forced from the action inside the opening two minutes against Adrian Lam’s outfit after a collision with opposition forward Robbie Mulhern at The Brick Community Stadium.
His team-mates went on to claim a 24-6 victory in the Battle of the Borough clash, extending their unbeaten run to nine in all competitions, with Paul Wellens’ Saints up next for the reigning champions on Friday, 8:00pm kick-off.
Ireland international Liam Byrne and rising youngster Harvie Hill did not feature against the Leopards, while talented teenager Jack Farrimond partnered Harry Smith in the halves for the first time with starting full-back Jai Field still a month away from full fitness with a hamstring injury.
Providing the latest on Cooper post-match, Wigan boss Matt Peet explained: “He's alright, he's disappointed but it's one of them things, the timing and coming together of two heads.
“He'll sit down for a week and rightly so, when it's like that and it's that clean it's important that the players are looked after.
“It's an easy one to accept as a coach, it might be that we'll give him a bit longer (time off). We'll look after him.
“These things happen in games of rugby, they are not nice to see to anyone but the players' health and welfare in the short and long-term has to be priority.”