Nines injury report: Cowboys recruit Lachlan Coote suffers suspected ACL tear

FIVE players joined the NRL casualty ward in a calamitous day at the Nines. Check out our full injury report.

LACHLAN Coote’s season appears to be over after just seven minutes of Nines football, with the new Cowboys recruit the unluckiest victim of an injury curse on the tournament’s opening day.

North Queensland coach Paul Green expected MRI scans to confirm the ex-Panthers fullback had suffered a dreaded ACL tear, putting him at the top of a casualty ward that also includes Curtis Sironen (foot), Todd Carney (hamstring), Dave Taylor (ankle) and Isaac Liu (knee).

News_Image_File: Lachlan Coote down injured.

In another blow for the Tigers after last weekend’s ankle injury to Dene Halatau, Sironen is likely to be sidelined for six weeks with a fractured foot he sustained in the opening stages of his team’s second pool match against Cronulla.

Teammate and close friend James Tedesco revealed the versatile playmaker injured his toe at training last week, and needed painkillers to take the field.

“I think he hurt it in the first game (against Gold Coast),” Tedesco said. “He sort of took it over with him. He did it at training a few days before. He had to needle it.

“The first run he didn’t feel too comfortable. I just don’t think he wanted to risk it.”

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The same match also claimed Carney, who tweaked his hamstring and will take no part in Sunday’s action.

Coote’s campaign was just seven minutes old when he hobbled off in North Queensland’s opening clash against the Sea Eagles.

He was grounded after a 40-metre dash, and taken straight for scans at a nearby clinic in Auckland. Should they reveal the worst, Coote will be forced to stomach the fourth serious injury of his relatively short career.

He suffered a shoulder injury in 2009, osteitis pubis in 2010 and missed most of last year with a torn pectoral.

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“It’s pretty big, it’s massive,” Green lamented as Coote left the ground for scans.

“He’s one of our key signings. For him personally, he tore his (pectoral muscle) last year and if this is a season-ending injury, it’s tragic.”

Coote was recruited to Townsville to replace club great Matt Bowen at fullback.

The prognosis on Taylor was not as grim. The Titans hulk failed to finish his opening game against the Tigers after twice taking knocks to his right knee, but tests showed the damage was not structural.

“I copped a cork on the teardrop and it was a bit tender,” Taylor said. “It was quite sore. I will have a look at it and find out what’s wrong.”

Titans assistant coach Neil Henry hopes overnight treatment will enable Taylor to play on Sunday.

“He is improving but we will have to make a call on him in the morning,” he said. “We’ll see how he pulls up overnight, he’s had ice on it and been stretching so we’ll see how he goes.”