By BILLY GRIMSHAW
HUDDERSFIELD Giants coach Rick Stone has confirmed the club are still investigating the cause of Lee Gaskell’s illness which forced his withdrawal in the warm-up to last weekend’s heavy defeat at home to Hull FC.
The former Bradford Bull has previously suffered heart issues and Stone emphasised the club’s commitment to Gaskell’s wellbeing, saying “We would never put Lee in a position where he wasn’t comfortable. His welfare and safety is paramount. We’re positive that we’re not going to jeopardise that situation. If he continued to show signs that he’s not quite right, we’d probably send him to see a specialist in London.”
When asked about the problem, the Giants coach admitted it was still a mystery. “It might be a mix of maybe a heart murmur and a little bit of anxiety but we are not quite sure to be honest,” Stone said.
“He’s had some sad news with a death in the family recently – he went to the funeral yesterday which might have had an influence on what’s been going on. He’s had some blood tests and he had an ECG with us a week or two before the season started and that came back clear. We’re just working through a procedure with our doctor Danny Glover. Danny’s checked him out and he’s pretty comfortable that he can train at this point in time. He’s going to train as normal today and we’ll find out a bit more about him.”
Despite the serious nature of heart problems, Stone refused to rule out Gaskell playing a part in the Giants upcoming clash with Leigh. “We probably need to get through today and assess where he’s at and make a decision ahead of our next training run on Thursday.”
