STEVE Price says Mitch Brown’s knee injury is “very long-term” and that the club is now focused on his welfare.

The utility back suffered the injury during the 28-18 defeat at Castleford Tigers and was carried off on a stretcher.

He has undergone surgery to repair his patella and his anterior cruciate ligament and is currently on crutches and in a knee brace.

Price stopped short of saying the 30-year-old’s injury is career-threatening but did confirm it would be a long time before he could take to the field again.

“It was quite a serious operation,” he told the Guardian.

“He had his patella repaired as there was a fair amount of damage to it.

“He had to have a graft on his ACL as well, so it’s a very long-term injury.

“Our main focus now is Mitch’s well-being and his welfare.

“Whether it’s career-threatening is something we need to discuss with the surgeon and the medical staff.

“It was an unfortunate injury, but these happen in rugby league.

“He’s been great for us. He is the ultimate professional.

“He never drops his bottom lip and he typifies the culture we’re trying to breed here.”

In better injury news, Price says he expects skipper Chris Hill and second rower Bodene Thompson to be fit for Friday’s game against Huddersfield Giants.

Both were withdrawn with ankle injuries during Thursday’s 80-10 win over Hull FC and have been given a less strenuous workload this week.

However, Price says prop Sitaleki Akauola will not play on Friday and is set to miss “a couple of weeks” with a sternum injury.

“Bodene and Hilly have had light duties this week. They didn’t train today,” he said.

“We’ll have more of an inclination after the captain’s run on Thursday, but I’m confident they should be okay.

“We’re still monitoring Sitaleki but he definitely won’t play in the next couple of weeks.”