HAMILTON

Labour Day in Hamilton almost never disappoints — but six days out the news was more about who wouldn’t be able to play than who would.

Already down a handful of starters, the Tiger-Cats’ enviable team depth is going to be challenged more than ever this week, barring some very fast healing by a slew of key players.

After a hard-fought loss against Montreal on Thursday, the Tabbies were left licking a few more wounds than they are accustomed to.

That they came in the first loss at their new home, Tim Hortons Field, only rubbed that much more salt in the wounds.

The team will definitely be without starting defensive end Eric Norwood, defensive back Johnny Sears Jr, and safety Mike Daly who had been filling in so nicely for Craig Butler.

All three, along with special-teams mainstay Byron Archambault, were placed on the six-game injured list Tuesday.

Now any of the four could be pulled off the list at any point — they aren’t necessarily out the full six games — but chances are if the team put them there it’s because they expect them to be out at least that long.

If those were the only four missing, the Ticats depth, which is considerable, could likely cover that — but those are merely the for-sure outs this week.

The other list — which ranges from probably out to possibly out — includes starting offensive guard Ryan Bomben, defensive end Justin Hickman, punter Hugh O’Neill, and offensive guard Peter Dyakowski.

Already out and not expected back this week are starting slotback Andy Fantuz, starting running back C.J. Gable and starting receiver Bakari Grant, although Grant appeared to be easing back into action on Tuesday.

When head coach Kent Austin opened his post-practice scrum with a smile on his face it was surprising enough given his team’s injury situation.

“How much time do you have?” Austin replied when asked if he felt up to going through the list of his walking wounded.

Austin though is never one to dwell on injuries. He can’t control them so why waste energy talking about them. Normally he wouldn’t bother but this being a particularly bad run, he lamented a little.

“It is what it is,” he said starting out with one of his favourite catch-all phrases when the injury questions pop up.

“We are down quite a few players. Nothing we haven’t been used to around here but it’s a little more exaggerated right now. We’re figuring it out and hopefully we will have some guys back who will surprise us. But right now we’re trying to figure out how to get 21 on the field.”

Austin didn’t want to label any of his injured Ticats ‘Done for the year’ — but he acknowledged that could be the case in at least one instance and maybe more.

“They’re significant,” he said of the injuries. “We just don’t know,” he replied when asked if they were season-ending.

Bryan Hall, one of only two Ticats’ starting defensive linemen — Ted Laurent was the other — in his normal spot on Tuesday, said the remaining healthy Ticats didn’t even blink with all the unable-to-go’s in practice.

“We know that everyone on this team, those starting and those in line behind them have a fire inside and they’re going to step up. We know that,” Hall said.

Adrian Tracy would appear to be coming in this week to replace Norwood — and Hall says he has every confidence in the young import to get the job done.

Hickman, who is second on the team to Norwood in sacks with four, was listed as a possible for Monday’s showdown with Toronto.

In the secondary the loss of Sears and Daly isn’t quite as serious but only because the Ticats have been playing so much of the year without the two already.

Sears was only playing in just his third game this past Thursday against Montreal after going down in Game 2 of the regular season with injury.

His loss brings Ed Gainey back onto the active roster. Gainey would move back out to cornerback with Rico Murray moving back inside to halfback where Sears had played.

In two full games and a quarter of a third game this year, Sears has contributed two interceptions and a forced fumble. He somehow finished the game on Thursday against Montreal despite playing with what Austin described as a “significant” injury.

“He’s a pretty tough guy,” Austin said of Sears Jr. “He’s a football player. He suffered an injury that is going to be a while (and still finished the game).”

Norwood, like Sears, hasn’t had much luck with injuries this season but has made an impact when he has been in. He played in just his fifth game of the year against the Als and has five sacks to lead the Ticats.

Austin isn’t worried about either player letting the repeated injuries get to them.

“They’re both hard workers,” Austin said. “They’re both pros. They’ve just had a string of bad luck — but they’ll work very, very hard (to get back). We trust them completely.”

The offensive line with Bomben likely out and Dyakowski potentially sidelined, although more likely than Bomben to play, would be hit hard if neither can play.

The Als got to quarterback Zach Collaros on numerous occasions and sacked him six times once Bomben left Thursday’s game.

Austin, though, does have some time on his hands before he has to fill out his lineup and a confidence in the added depth his staff has provided him.

“We’ll figure it out,” he said. “We’ll put a competitive team out there.”