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Hull KR head coach Tony Smith says Mose Masoe suffered a career-ending injury in last weekend’s game against Wakefield Trinity.

The 30-year-old Rovers prop underwent emergency surgery on a spinal injury at Leeds General Infirmary on Sunday evening and after four days in intensive care is being moved to the spinal unit at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

Smith has revealed Masoe lost all feeling from the chest down after one of three artificial discs in his neck gave way and pinched his spinal cord in an innocuous collision.

Masoe continues to make good progress and Smith says the sole focus is to get him back on his feet.

“He’s making some really good progress which he’s happy about,” said Smith.

“It’s going to be a long, slow process for him but he’s making some good inroads.

“It looked very, very, very bleak until he had his operation. He’s made some good improvements and every little bit of improvement is a huge improvement from where it was first expected with him.

“I don’t want to paint a picture that everything is going to be fine and he’s going to be back doing things he used to do. It’s going to be a long old haul for Mose.

“I’m really proud to know him and to know the manner he’s conducted himself in under the most extreme pressure. He’s a big, strong man who was very, very happy prior to the injury and he’s showing the same traits now. He’s putting everyone else at ease.

“Today he’s left intensive care and is being moved to Pinderfields which is the national spinal unit for spinal injuries so he’s going to the best place.

“It’s only just now that he’s got out of intensive care so it shows you the extent of the injury. He’ll be better now going to a specialist environment, that’s for sure.

“This is a career-ending injury. If Mose is able to walk again that will be a success.

“All that is still unknown and we’ve got to be careful what we set our sights on as an outcome.

“Mose has got two lovely daughters here in this country and a young son in Australia who are suffering at the moment and worrying about their dad. He’s got an unborn child on the way.

“There’s different ways to measure success and if you ask his consultant, his consultant wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly what he’ll get back to.

“I know for a fact he’s just looking forward to hugging his children again. When he does that he’ll be even happier than the man that he is at the moment.”

To donate to the fund set up for Mose, click here.

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