Isherwood fears injury will delay return home

Widnes' newly signed second-rower, Andrew Isherwood, will have to stay in South Africa when the rest of the squad flies home from its training camp this week, following a serious back injury.

Isherwood, signed from Leigh this winter, has ruptured a disc in training and is having an operation tomorrow to fuse two vertebrae – a further blow for a player whose early progress at Wigan was halted by a badly broken leg.

It is feared that he will have to stay in South Africa for a month before being cleared to fly home and the club's conditioner, Bryan Jones, is staying there with him in the first instance.

His injury has put a damper on what was otherwise a successful 10-day stay in Pretoria, where Widnes worked closely with the Pretoria Bulls.

The Widnes coach, Neil Kelly, would like to bring one of their players – a strapping winger who played in last year's Super 12 – to Britain, subject to him qualifying for a work permit. There is also the possibility of the two teams playing each other in a cross-code match – similar to St Helens and Sale next Monday – in Pretoria this time next year.

Widnes are waiting to hear whether their captain, Steve Carter, who did not go to South Africa, needs an ankle reconstruction. If he does, it could signal the end of his career, which would leave them thin at stand-off, with doubts also surrounding the future of Craig Weston, whose mother is ill in Australia.

Garreth Haggerty, who was released by Widnes at the end of last season, has been poached by Salford from under the noses of Leigh. Haggerty had been training with Leigh, but yesterday signed a contract with their National League Two rivals.

He could even come into the reckoning for Sunday's Challenge Cup tie against Toulouse, because Steve Blakeley's broken thumb, which will keep him out for eight weeks, could prompt a re-shuffle, with Lee Marsh moving to stand-off from loose forward.

Richard Baker could make his second debut for Hunslet in their tie against another French side, Pia, the same day. The winger has rejoined the club after stints with Dewsbury and Doncaster.

The Keighley captain, Jason Ramshaw, has been named as the Arriva Trains Cup Player of the Round for his part in their 21-14 win over Doncaster on Sunday.