Jinxed Bulls have a pack crisis, with Matt Cook ruled out for three months and Jamie Langley facing six weeks on the sidelines.

Fellow forward Chris Feather was already crocked on Sunday and due to have surgery this morning on his ankle - broken in three places - as Steve McNamara's woes worsen.

In-form second-rower Cook was straight in for an operation to repair ligament damage in his wrist last night after receiving a surprise diagnosis earlier in the day.

He is in the same ward as Feather at Roundhay Hospital and joked: "At least I've got a bit of company!"

The England international was trying to stay upbeat but the injury is a big setback for a player who had just started to impose himself as a regular in the Bulls side.

Influential loose forward Langely, meanwhile, will sit out three to six weeks with the hamstring he pulled in Sunday's Carnegie Challenge Cup win over Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.

Strong-running Cook, 20, had originally damaged his wrist against Warrington two weeks ago.

However, he played on, impressed against Leeds and scored his first try for the club to help seal the weekend victory.

Pain-killing injections masked the problem but a visit to the specialist yesterday ended with the gut-wrenching news.

"I was in shock," Cook admitted. "I thought there was a little niggle, maybe I'd need a clear-out at the end of the season and it'd be alright until then but to hear I'd be out for three months was a real sickener. We found it early though and getting the repair is nowhere near as bad as having a reconstruction like Chris McKenna had.

"The only problem with this was it had to be done straight away, which means three months out.

"Fingers crossed I'll be back for the Challenge Cup final if we go all the way."

Cook suffered a serious shoulder injury last season that halted his progress but he doesn't intend on this blow holding him back.

"Things had been going well and hopefully I've played well and long enough over the last few months to prove myself," he said.

  • Lesley Vainikolo's move to Gloucester at the end of June is expected to be announced at a joint-press conference tomorrow while the Challenge Cup quarter-final draw takes place on BBC News 24 today at 4.45pm.

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