I doesn’t matter if you have pace or not. Players need full extensibility of their muscles/tendons correct muscle synergy etc etc hence few ‘cover up’. This is why teams do a thorough warm up and are prepped pre season. Muscle pulls have always been a fact of sporting life especially at elite level. I guess you are suggesting more poor prep? Sometimes negative things just happen hence a lot of us even last season tried to stay positive. And look what’s happened! 

Gutting for Barron to be out as he's shown great form and such an improvement.


Looking at the squad list I'd go 


Rapana
Briscoe
Chamberlain
Hardaker
Martin
Cust
Sezer
Ese'ese
Bourouh
Ashworth/Knight
Cartwright
Lane
Asiata


Knight/Ashworth
Watts
Eseh/Salabio/Fash
Moy/Hutchison

Is Balmforth still injured?

yeah, still injured.  he was mentioned in one of the articles early in the week i believe it was...or maybe last week. but definitely still injured