Wolfpack look to bounce back

The Toronto Wolfpack look to regain some of their dignity and reputation this weekend after an embarrassing, franchise-worst 66-10 loss to Super League side Warrington in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup.

But they will have to do it Saturday against a tough Toulouse Olympique XIII team — and without injured winger Adam Higson.

Helped off the pitch last Saturday, Higson suffered a concussion, damaged ankle and broken collarbone. He underwent surgery this week.

Lopsided score aside, Toronto coach Paul Rowley won’t forget the Warrington game any time soon.

“It’s quite difficult doing a post-match speech when you’ve got a player lying on a bed unconscious with a drip in him and taking on morphine,” Rowley said. “It’s quite a new experience but not one I’m looking forward to ever doing again.”

Scottish international Matty Russell is expected to make his Wolfpack debut in place of Higson, who won’t be back before the playoffs.

Saturday’s game at Newcastle’s St. James Park is part of the so-called Magic Weekend, an annual festival of rugby league.

The Toronto-Toulouse contest serves as the curtain-raiser for the two-day event, which features all 12 Super League teams in action. It’s the first time a Betfred Championship match has been included.

Toronto leads the second-tier Championship with an 11-1-1 record, ahead of Toulouse at 10-3-0. The Wolfpack won 24-22 when the two met April 2 in France.

The Wolfpack have won nine straight league matches since a 47-16 loss to the London Broncos on Feb. 25.

“What I’m looking for this week — forget the win, forget the loss whatever (happens) — we’re going to play (the game) the way it’s meant to be played, with a good spirit and good attitude and good discipline,” Rowley said.

“I don’t think we’ll get to full redemption but we’ll go a long way to fixing it and showing what we’re really about,” he added.