NRL 2020: Luke Keary discharged from hospital at 3am after savage blow

The Sydney Roosters have been left shell-shocked by both a Melbourne Storm ambush and a mounting injury toll as one drama took a scary turn.

Mitch Aubusson was in a lot of pain.

The Sydney Roosters put in a horror performance as the Melbourne Storm ran out 24-6 winners at the SCG but far more concern surrounded a series of troubling injuries.

Despite missing Cameron Smith and Cameron Munster, the Storm barely skipped a beat in a clinical first half performance, leading 14-0 at the break before cruising home.

But with plenty of players already on the injury list, it was a costly match for the Roosters who added three more injuries with Lachlan Lam suffering an ankle injury. Mitchell Aubusson also hurt his arm and there was huge concern for Luke Keary after an ambulance was called.

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Initially, it appeared that Keary had succumbed to a rib injury with Fox League reporting he had treatment throughout the halftime break, but a heavy tackle in the second half saw him come from the field and out of the match.

Soon after reports emerged paramedics had been called to the rooms to look at Keary, who was in “a lot of pain”.

There was soon confirmation the ambulance was called due to worry about internal bleeding.

Nine’s Danny Weidler reported on Friday morning Keary was discharged from hospital at 3am. He had a broken rub but there was no indication of other internal injuries.

“He’s not great at the moment,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said. “He’s very sore, it’s pretty painful.”

Injured Roosters' Luke Keary left the field during the NRL match between the Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm at the SCG. Picture. Phil Hillyard

It was a concerning finish to the match and happened to come after two more injuries saw the Roosters crippled.

Aubusson’s was particularly tough to watch.

With five minutes left in the first half, he was caught in a sickening moment when the 301-gamer’s arm was caught under Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solamona.

Having been pushed over by a fend from Asofa-Solamona, the Storm prop then fell on the Roosters veteran with his arm being flattened in an ugly way.

Mitch Aubusson's arm got crushed underneath Nelson Asofa-Solamona.

“He is hurt Mitch Aubusson, he was trampled a couple of times there, he’s in real strife,” commentator Andrew Voss said.

The whistle then went off with Aubusson not in a good way. “The toughness of rugby league encapsulated in that one replay,” Voss said of Aubusson, who was clearly in pain.

I wouldn’t want big Nelson landing on me either. #ouch #pooraubo #nrl #nrlroostersstorm

— Ed Jackson (@edjacko) August 13, 2020

You know it’s a bad injury if Aubusson goes off. That man is a machine. #nrl

— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) August 13, 2020

It comes just a week before Aubusson was meant to equal Anthony Minichiello’s club record of 302 games for the foundation club.

NRL Physio tweeted “Initial sideline report is possible wrist/forearm fracture for Aubusson, if confirmed at least 4-6 weeks recovery usually required for adequate bone healing. Not good news”.

Nasty for Mitch Aubusson, video brings concern for wrist hyperextension injury as left hand gets caught on the ground under weight of players. Concern for ligament sprain/nerve or tendon traction injury, hope no fracture. Best case: minor soft tissue sprain but didn’t look good pic.twitter.com/nZGRbzIe7i

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) August 13, 2020

For Lam, Braith Anasta said on Fox League that it was “a real shame for him, he had a big opportunity against one of the high quality sides to stamp his authority and maintain the number 7 jersey alongside Keary”.

The Roosters’ injury list includes Victor Radley, Sam Verrills, Boyd Cordner, Daniel Tupou, Angus Crichton, Brett Morris and Jared Waerea-Hargraves.

It added to a terrible start to the night for the Roosters who had just 14 from 21 completions, against the Storm, who went 17 from 21.

Two tries in the opening 20 minutes put the Roosters to the sword with another one gone begging after the bunker ruled Suliasi Vunivalu put his foot on the sideline.

News emerged after the game that Vunivalu had also suffered a broken jaw in a horror night for injuries.

On The Late Show with Matty Johns, Bryan Fletcher asked if Roosters great Luke Ricketson had ever “seen carnage like this?”

“The injuries are horrific,” he said. “I’m not quite sure what it is. People are talking about the time off that everyone’s had and coming back and not being conditioned for this style of football but the game’s just got a lot faster and there’s more minutes being played and people are just not adapting to it and the injuries are just going everywhere.”

Originally published as NRL 2020: Luke Keary discharged from hospital at 3am after savage blow