Casualty Ward: Huge Tom Trbojevic blow for Sea Eagles
Manly’s final hopes have been dealt a significant blow, but the Sea Eagles are rolling the dice — check out all the latest injury news with our expert NRL Physio.
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Manly’s final hopes have been dealt a significant blow with confirmation Tom Trbojevic that suffered a pectoral.
But in surprising news the Sea Eagles are opting to delay surgery in an attempt to have Trbojevic return deep in the finals series.
While the star fullback will require surgery eventually (and 10-14 weeks recovery), the hope is that he can complete comprehensive strengthening rehab over the next 3-4 weeks and prove fit enough to return if the Sea Eagles are alive in the finals.
Medically this is possible, but it presents a significant challenge to Trbojevic and the Manly medical staff. There will be very little pain involved, so the question will be the amount of strength and function that can be regained in 3-4 short weeks.
Studies have shown the strength and torque lost due to a pec rupture is initially 70-90%, which can be reduced to 30-40% with a comprehensive rehab program. The short time Trbojevic has available to do this plus the risk of further injury to structures surrounding the area make the return to play decision a delicate balancing act.
After losing Joel Thompson last week for at least a month, Manly face the prospect of two more forwards being on the sidelines for the start of their finals campaign.
Jack Gosiewski (knee) and Morgan Boyle (shoulder) were both removed from the game early with injury, and Hasler was only hopeful Gosiewski had escaped significant injury.
Boyle appeared in significant pain after an innocuous hit-up, and left the field clutching at his right arm. Gosiewski was folded back during a tackle, causing significant rotation in his knee. This often brings concern for a medial meniscus or MCL injury, which best case would still result in a week or two on the sideline.
Cameron Munster also came from the field clutching at his shoulder, but has since been cleared of a serious injury. Scans on Sunday showed he had only irritated his shoulder and neck and suffered no serious damage.
Munster was in doubt coming into the Storm’s round 24 game with a shoulder/neck issue, and while the new injury appeared to be related there is some uncertainty regarding the specific source of the complaint.
The Storm medical staff gave some indication that although Munster was suffering pain in his shoulder, the actual issue could originate in his neck. If this is confirmed it is likely to be a brachial plexus aggravation, which refers to a group of nerves that run from the neck down into the shoulder.
These are the same nerves that are involved when a player suffers a burner or stinger, and while symptoms can be acutely quite debilitating they usually settle quickly.
The worst-case scenario would be a cervical disc injury for the Storm five-eighth, although he appeared in minimal discomfort post-game which bodes well for him having avoided a serious injury.
Munster did indicate he felt the issue was more in his shoulder, as he felt significant pain lower down than he had over the past week. Thankfully this doesn’t automatically mean there is an injury to the structures in the shoulder itself; an injury to the brachial plexus can cause pain/weakness/numbness all the way down into the hand, so pain further down in the shoulder could just indicate a further aggravation of already sensitive nerves. Scans will be extremely valuable here to rule out any significant injury and help form a clear treatment plan.
Sio Siua Taukeiaho suffered a rib cartilage injury, and was only going to return to the field if absolutely required. Thankfully this would suggest the Roosters medical staff suspect he has avoided a fracture. If this is the case, while rib cartilage injuries are considered among the most painful in sport, most players are able to return within 1-3 weeks. As there is minimal risk of permanent/long term damage to the rib cartilage this is mostly considered a pain tolerance issue, with most players returning to the field with the assistance of pain killing injections or a chest guard.
Young Warriors half Chanel Harris-Tavita’s season is more than likely over after suffering a suspected broken wrist. Only on the field for four minutes, even after suffering the injury CHT attempted to continue playing.
After making four tackles with what was likely a broken wrist he came from the field, with scans to assess the severity of the damage. If a fracture is confirmed he will require are least four weeks recovery for adequate bone healing, with most fractures in the wrist resulting in a 6-8 week recovery.
Isaah Yeo will have an injury interrupted off-season after undergoing shoulder reconstruction surgery this week.
The Penrith forward originally dislocated his shoulder earlier in the season, and delayed surgery til post-season in an effort to help his team on a finals run.
Unfortunately he suffered a shoulder subluxation (minor dislocation) in Penrith’s Round 23 game, and with scans showing further damage to his shoulder joint surgery was the treatment option required.
This comes with a 5-6 month recovery period, and with six months til Round 1 2020, Yeo should be fit to return to the field provided there are no significant setbacks during rehab.
The Panthers will also be without hooker Mitch Kenny after he suffered a medial elbow ligament injury during training this week. On the advice of a surgeon he will wear a brace for the next three weeks, then begin strengthening rehab once it is removed.