AJ Brimson could miss the rest of the season due to a fractured back
Titans fullback AJ Brimson could miss the remainder of the NRL season after his back injury proved to be far worse than first thought.
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Titans dynamo AJ Brimson will be sidelined until at least August and may not play a game in 2020 because of a fractured back.
A stress fracture suffered in the pre-season has deteriorated to a complete break in Brimson’s back, ruling out the Gold Coast fullback indefinitely.
Titans coach Justin Holbrook said the club’s initial hopes of Brimson being able to play when the NRL season resumes on May 28 have been blown apart.
“It’s going to be a while,” Holbrook said.
“He started with bone bruising and a stress fracture, and now he’s got a full fracture he’s got to recover from.
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“In terms of time frame, I’m not sure yet. We thought the six-week break would be great to give him a chance to fully recover and get back but we were a bit off the mark.
“I haven’t got an exact date. It’s been a tough one for AJ to get over.
“Hopefully not (the whole season). We’re not thinking that far.
“We’re hoping to have AJ back by August but I don’t want to be committing to that because I thought he’d be right to play once we resumed.
“We’re now talking June and July as well, then it’s a matter of how quick the fracture heals.
“We’re doing lots of work there but it’s going to be a fair way off.”
Brimson, 21, played in the Perth Nines and later reported back soreness, which was initially diagnosed as bone bruising.
Winger Phillip Sami was promising at fullback in the opening two rounds of the season before it was suspended due to COVID-19, but the Titans were hoping to have Brimson back on board.
Holbrook said it was not uncommon for stress fractures to deteriorate before they improved and Brimson did not require surgery.
“When they’re stress fractures they either mend from there or become a full fracture,” he said.
“The experts are saying that’s common, it’s not like we’ve aggravated it and it’s become worse.
“He’s still in that rest period so in terms of getting him up to speed to play rugby league, we know how hard a contact sport it is, it’s not in the near future.
“He definitely won’t play in June or July.”
Sami is set for an extended stint at fullback and the Titans’ signing of former Storm winger Young Tonumaipea boosts their backline depth.
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