Lunt faces two months out

Huddersfield will be without hooker Shaun Lunt for up to two months with an Achilles injury sustained in the warm-up before Sunday's 38-10 win at Crusaders.

The 22-year-old hooker was seen as a possible candidate for England's mid-season international against France on June 12 after producing some sparkling form for his club but will definitely be sidelined for the next six weeks.

"Losing Lunty is clearly a blow because he's been such an important player for us over the past 18 months," said Giants coach Nathan Brown. "But the important thing is that he could be back in six weeks so it's not a season-long injury and we've also still got some quality players at the club who can play at hooker."

Brown has Luke Robinson, David Fauimu and Scott Grix as hooking options, as well as veteran Brad Drew, who made his first appearance since re-joining the club from Wakefield on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Brown has played down speculation linking Warrington full-back Richard Mathers with a move to the Galpharm Stadium as a replacement for captain Brett Hodgson.

Hodgson, the reigning Man of Steel, is poised to join the Wolves on a two-year contract next season after rejecting a 12-month extension to his Huddersfield deal.

Brown has hinted that he may look to plug the gap internally, with Leroy Cudjoe an obvious successor after deputising for him five times already this year.

"I'm already looking at trying to find a replacement and it may well be that it could be someone internally like Leroy Cudjoe or Scott Grix," said Brown.

"There has been talk of us looking at Richie Mathers but, even though he's a good, solid player, he hasn't come under our radar."