Major injury blow for Andrew Farrell

Wigan today confirmed that their Captain Andrew Farrell will be out for four months following knee surgery which was carried out last night.

Wigan Chairman Maurice Lindsay said,

"It is devastating news for both Andrew and the club. He picked up the injury in the Tri Nations Final against Australia. He hoped that rest would cure it but he has ultimately needed surgery. It is exactly the same problem he had at the end of the 2003 season when he suffered damage to his other knee."

Lindsay added,

" It is a heavy price that Andrew and the club have had to pay for giving all to their country.The Tri-Nations was a massive drain upon the players following a long season. Andrew Farrell is irreplaceable and with the restrictions of the rule limiting squads to 20 players, it means we will already be drafting teenagers into our squad before we even kick off."

"I have been saying for some considerable time that the 20/20 rule places unwarranted physical strain upon the modern day players. It should be scrapped. We have a salary cap limit and clubs should be able to spend that money however they see fit and sensibly on more than twenty players."