Huddersfield Giants running out of props ahead of Super League season opener at Wigan Front rower Larne Patrick, who played in all but five of the Giants' 27 League games in 2011, has suffered a broken wrist in training and coach Nathan Brown confirmed on Thursday that new signing Tony Tonks will also miss the clash at the DW Stadium on Sunday, Feb 5. Patrick has undergone surgery which will keep him sidelined until March while Tonks, signed from Featherstone as a replacement for Darrell Griffin who is now at Leeds, will sit out the opener after picking up a two-match ban for his part in the brawl during the Championship Grand Final in his last game for Rovers in September. Huddersfield will also be without experienced overseas back-row duo David Fa'alogo and Luke O'Donnell, who can both play in the front row, for the start of the season because of back and knee injuries respectively. "It's not great at the moment," said Brown. Larne suffered a busted scaphoid in training and was left with no other choice but to undergo surgery that will keep him out until March. And Tony has been banned for a couple of games, with one suspension coming into force for the trials and another ruling him out of the opening game, which is really disappointing. But there's no point dwelling on it. It's just a case of dealing with the absences as best you can and giving opportunities to the younger members of the squad. The double blow could pave the way for 22-year-old prop Adam Walker to make his Super League debut. He is expected to come up against twin brother Jonathon next Friday when Huddersfield play Castleford in their first pre-season friendly.