Why NRLW star Jessica Sergis is prepared to chop her toe off

A wretched run with injury has forced Jillaroos, NSW and Roosters star Jessica Sergis to face losing a body part in a bid to prolong her career.

YORK, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 10: Jessica Sergis of Australia warms up ahead of the Women's Rugby League World Cup Group B match between Australia Women and New Zealand Women at LNER Community Stadium on November 10, 2022 in York, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

NRLW star Jessica Sergis is willing to chop off her toe in a bid to keep her blossoming career from being threatened by an ongoing foot injury.

Sergis, who is one of the game’s biggest stars, has already had surgery to rectify the broken toe but is prepared to lose part of her toe if further surgery fails to rectify the pain.

“We have to get in there and clean it out or chop the top off,” Sergis said. “My toes are ugly anyway. A toe is a toe.”

Jillaroos star Jessica Sergis is prepared to lose part of her toe if further surgery fails to rectify the pain. Jessica Sergis.

She would not be the first high profile rugby league player to carve out a successful career despite a minor amputation.

Roosters premiership winner Angus Crichton had half of his middle finger cut off in 2017 and went onto become a NSW and Australian star. Ex-rugby league enforcer David Gillespie severed a finger in a workplace accident while Mark Carroll also lost part of his toe at the end of his career.

“Angus can cut off a finger, I can cut off a toe,” Sergis, who is planning further surgery later this month, said.

Sergis injured the toe playing for the Jillaroos in their World Cup final win against New Zealand in England last year where she starred scoring two tries. At first she seemed untroubled by the injury and took to travelling across Europe for two months after the tournament.

Sergis originally injured her toe playing for the Jillaroos last year. Picture: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

“I didn’t know it was broken,” Sergis said. “I thought it was infected. I was taking all this stuff to bring the infection down. I got home and had scans and then surgery a few days later.

“I’m still having issues with it. I still can’t fit in shoes. I have to go up in sizes. It’s really annoying.

“It is my left pinky toe. It looks like my big toe to be honest. It’s fat and swollen. If I get stood on it absolutely aches.

“I feel like it’s a bit broken. I had a week off during pre-season and was in hospital for five days because we thought it was infected.”

Despite a wretched run with injury, Sergis will return to the green and gold when the Jillaroos kickstart their Pacific Championships campaign against New Zealand in Townsville on Saturday night.

She will play her first game since September 3 when she suffered a freak finger injury which required four screws and a plate.

“I put the ball on the ground (to score a try) and my finger went the other way,” Sergis said.

Scans revealed Jess Sergis did suffer a finger fracture this past weekend - will require surgery to stabilise. Only 4 weeks til the #NRLWGF but have seen returns from this surgery type in as little as 3 weeks, so still some hope she can feature in the finals pic.twitter.com/ud3HV2WLhH

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) September 5, 2023

PLAYING SHORT

• Angus Crichton cut off half his middle finger in 2017.
• Mark Carroll retired because of a toe injury which was partly removed in 1999
• David Gillespie had two joints of his left index finger removed in 1986

Originally published as Why NRLW star Jessica Sergis is prepared to chop her toe off