NRL 2020: Newcastle Knights star Jayden Brailey suffers ACL injury

Fresh off a three point Dally M performance against the Wests Tigers, the Newcastle hooker has received the worst possible news as the NRL season shuts down.

Knights new signing Jayden Brailey takes a breather during a Newcastle Knights training session at Balance Field in Newcastle, Wednesday, November 6, 2019. (AAP Image/Darren Pateman) NO ARCHIVING

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Newcastle hooker Jayden Brailey has been left devastated after suffering a torn ACL that has ended his 2020 season campaign.

The outstanding young hooker received the worst possible news after undergoing routine scans on a knee complaint following the Knights big win over the Wests Tigers on Sunday.

Jayden Brailey has unfortunately suffered a season ending ACL injury. Picture: AAP.

Incredibly, Brailey - who was awarded the three Dally M points by judge Matthew Elliott for his man of the match performance in the victory - played the entire second-half of the match with the partial tear in his ACL.

Brailey felt only minor knee pain after being tackled by the Tigers Billy Waters in the first-half and was happy to resume the second-half with only strapping around his knee.

But as a precaution, the Knights medical staff scanned Brailey’s knee on Monday where the shock diagnosis was revealed.

The Knights view Brailey as a future captain of the club and with a long-term view to his health, the decision has been made for immediate surgery.

Brailey was the Knights biggest 2020 recruit and was a standout in the opening two rounds of the season. Picture: Getty Images.

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Brailey joined the Knights from Cronulla as the club’s highest profile recruit, but will now spend the next 12-months rehabilitating from ACL surgery.

The suspension of the NRL season is the only silver lining for Knights coach Adam O’Brien, who without Brailey will look to either Connor Watson or Chris Randall at dummy-half, if and when the competition resumes.