NRL Casualty Ward: Jason Taumalolo set to play again this season

North Queensland Cowboys forward Jason Taumalolo will play again this season but the prognosis is hardly positive for KFC SuperCoaches.

Teams are taking stock of their wounded as we get to the business end of the season.

Here’s a comprehensive look at every relevant injury with finals just over a month away.

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Cowboys

Injured in Round 15: Jason Taumalolo had to be assisted from the field with a calf injury. He will miss up to a month, while hooker Reece Robson (hamstring) is out for the season.

“Taumalolo will be sidelined for up to four weeks after sustaining a calf tear against the Newcastle Knights on Sunday afternoon,” the Cowboys said in a statement on Monday.

“Taumalolo is expected to return before the end of the season. Robson will miss the remainder of the season after tearing a hamstring at training last week.”

Reported calf injury for Jason Taumalolo. Video blocked but can see pushing off mechanism; matches calf strain. Moved around for a few tackles before requiring assistance from the field, brings concern for moderate strain (3-6wks return). Have to hope for minor strain & 1-3wks pic.twitter.com/oNzfKmLPMr

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) August 23, 2020

Returning: Should welcome back star recruit Valentine Holmes after he returned to team training this week. A return in Round 16 would be seven weeks post syndesmosis repair surgery, within the normal range for NRL players in the past few seasons.

Full casualty ward: Jason Taumalolo (calf, round 20)

Reece Robson (hamstring, season)

Emre Pere (back, TBC)

Valentine Holmes (ankle, round 16)

Murray Taulagi (wrist, indefinite)

Jason Taumalolo has a calf injury.

Panthers

Injured in Round 15: Lost Api Koroisau (calf) and Moses Leota (hamstring) to a pair of muscle strains in their win over the Sharks. In good news Koroisau did leave the field under his own power, not needing any assistance, but appeared hobbled. This would suggest his calf strain is only minor in nature, and if confirmed would usually result in a return within 1-3 weeks. For Leota, even a minor hamstring strain often results in a 2-4 week recovery period due to the high re-injury risk. Star Panthers second-rower Viliame Kikau is facing a potential two-match ban

Viliame Kikau and Paul Vaughan are facing suspensions.

Returning: Brian To’o was named on an extended bench for this week but was cut 24 hours from game time. He was given an extra week to recover completely from his syndesmosis repair surgery, with the expectation he will be available in Round 16. Charlie Staines (Round 17-18) has started to build his running loads as he recovers from a grade two hamstring strain, whilst Kurt Capewell will return to team training next week with the aim to return in Round 17. Dean Whare (Round 18) continues to progress with his ongoing toe injury.

Full casualty ward: Viliame Kikau (facing suspension, TBC)

Api Koroisau (calf, TBC)

Moses Leota (hamstring, TBC)

Brian To’o (ankle, round 16)

Charlie Staines (hamstring, round 16)

Kurt Capewell (knee, round 17)

Dean Whare (toe, round 18)

Storm

Brandon Smith can see the funny side despite being sidelined for a month.

Injured in Round 15: After losing Dale Finucane for six weeks to a calf tear suffered at training, the injury list grew for Melbourne with Brandon Smith (broken jaw), Ryley Jacks (hip contusion), Kenny Bromwich (calf) and Darryn Schonig (concussion) all going down during their Round 15 clash.

Smith will undergo surgery and require the usual 4-6 weeks recovery, whilst there is concern Kenny Bromwich could miss at least three weeks if the reported “calf tear” is accurate (usually signifies a grade two strain). Jacks should be fit to return in 1-2 weeks with a hip pointer/contusion rarely requiring an extended recovery.

Returning: Thankfully they will get some troops back in Round 16, with Jahrome Hughes (groin) and Cameron Smith (AC joint) both considered likely. Cameron Munster is a chance to return just three weeks after re-injuring his MCL, although the Storm may opt to take the conservative route and give him an extra week to decrease risk of a third MCL sprain in quick succession.

Full casualty ward: Brandon Smith (jaw, round 19-finals)

Ryley Jacks (hip, round 16-17)

Kenny Bromwich (calf, round 16-17)

Jahrome Hughes (groin, round 16)

Marion Seve (ear, round 16)

Cameron Smith (shoulder, round 16)

Jesse Bromwich (suspension, round 16)

Cameron Munster (knee, round 16-17)

Max King (Achilles, round 19)

Suliasi Vunivalu (jaw, round 19-finals)

Dale Finucane (calf, finals)

Tui Kamikamica (lower back, finals)

Paul Momirovski (finger, finals)

Brandon Smith will be a huge loss for the Storm. Picture: Grant Trouville/NRL Photos

Eels

Injured in Round 15: Marata Niukore left the field for a HIA but was able to return. Niukore is also facing a two-game ban after he was charged with a grade-one crusher tackle in Thursday night’s win over Melbourne.

Returning: With one of the healthiest rosters in the competition, the Eels will head towards the finals hoping they can continue to avoid the injury carnage occurring around them.

Full casualty ward: Peni Terepo (indefinite)

Marata Niukore (facing suspension, TBC)

Roosters

Injured in Round 15: Matt Ikuvalu was another victim of a tackler falling on the lower leg of the ball carrier. After being assisted from the field it was revealed post match he had avoided a dreaded syndesmosis injury, but there was still concern lower down in his foot.

The traumatic nature of the tackle raises suspicion for a midfoot sprain (Lisfranc injury) or even a foot fracture, which even best case (minor sprain) would likely see him miss 2-3 weeks.

Returning: Thankfully for the Roosters they should have a ready-made replacement in Daniel Tupou, who is hoping to return in Round 16 from syndesmosis repair surgery. Boyd Cordner is also aiming for Round 16-17 after having an extended time off to recover from a concussion, whilst Angus Crichton (MCL sprain) and Sonny Bill Williams (conditioning) will need to wait until at least Round 17.

Luke Keary will likely require at least another few weeks for his broken ribs to heal as he targets a Round 18 return, and Mitchell Aubusson indicated this week he will forgo surgery on an avulsion fracture in his wrist and hope to be available in Round 19-20.

Full casualty ward: Luke Keary (ribs, round 18)

Matt Ikuvalu (foot, TBC)

Daniel Tupou (ankle, round 16)

Angus Crichton (knee, round 17)

Boyd Cordner (head knock, round 16)

Lachlan Lam (ankle, indefinite)

Mitchell Aubusson (wrist, round 19-20)

Victor Radley (knee, season)

Sam Verrills (knee, season)

Billy Smith (knee, season)

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Raiders

Injured in Round 15: Managed to escape injury free this week

Returning: Emre Guler is out of his moon boot and hoping to be available in the last few rounds of the regular season as he progresses his rehab from a foot fracture. Sia Soliola finally received clearance to eat solid food this week after suffering horrific facial fractures earlier in the season. He is still likely to be available in the finals series.

Corey Horsburgh is listed as a best case return of Round 19, although there would likely be doubt on him being able to contribute again this season. Lisfranc repair surgery has a notoriously slow recovery, and although best case players can return in three months this timeline is commonly extended out to 4-5 months which would prevent Horsburgh from playing again this NRL season.

Full casualty ward: Semi Valemei (knee, round 16-17)

Emre Guler (ankle, round 17-19)

Corey Horsburgh (foot, round 19-finals)

Michael Oldfield (thumb, round 20)

Sia Soliola (facial fracture, finals)

Sebastian Kris (personal leave, indefinite)

Andre Niko (knee, season)

Josh Hodgson (knee, season)

Bailey Simonsson (shoulder, season)

Rabbitohs

Injured in Round 15: Lost Dane Gagai to a minor hamstring strain at training on Friday. The Rabbitohs are confident he will be available next week, although it is worth noting this will require Gagai to play just 6 days after straining his hamstring. Even the most minor of hamstring strains often require 10-14 days rehab to allow a safe return to play considering the high re-injury rate. Alex Johnston also left the field with a concussion, but was cleared of a fractured jaw.

Returning: James Roberts will be the main return on the horizon for South Sydney, with his best case recovery of 10 weeks post pec repair surgery falling in week one of the finals series.

Full casualty ward: Alex Johnston (concussion, TBC)

Jack Johns (finger, round 18)

Dane Gagai (hamstring, round 17)

Hame Sele (shoulder, round 16)

Liam Knight (suspension, round 16)

James Roberts (pectoral, finals)

Ethan Lowe (neck, season)

Tom Amone (knee, season)

Braidon Burns (knee, season)

Knights

Injured in Round 15: A shattered Adam O’Brien labelled it injury “carnage” after star recruit Blake Green became the latest luckless Newcastle Knight to suffer a season-ending injury. On the verge of playing in the club’s first finals series since 2013, Green’s suspected ACL knee injury overshadowed a gutsy 12-0 win over North Queensland. Full story here

Significant concern Blake Green suffered a left ACL injury. Not only mechanism of injury (planting left foot, non contact) but can see hands on test performed by trainer shows significant laxity (looseness) in Green’s knee. Best case meniscus tear/bone bruise but not looking good pic.twitter.com/rEm0bozojm

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) August 23, 2020

Returning: The Knights should see a significant number return in the lead up to the finals. Daniel Saifiti should only miss 1-2 weeks after aggravating scar tissue from his previous PCL sprain, with Sione Mata’utia only a week behind him as he nears the end stage of rehab from syndesmosis repair surgery.

Bradman Best underwent the very same syndesmosis surgery and will be aiming for a 6-8 week return to play (Round 20-Finals Week 1). Edrick Lee is still on track for a 10-14 week return after re-fracturing his forearm earlier in the year, with Round 19-20 circled as possibilities.

Andrew McCullough would have to set a new record for the quickest return to play after surgery to repair a proximal hamstring rupture to feature again this season, as the usual best case of 12 weeks would have him sitting until week three of the finals series. McCullough himself has shown optimism this can be done though, so he shouldn’t be counted out.

Full casualty ward: Blake Green (suspected ACL, TBC)

Daniel Saifiti (knee, round 16-17)

Sione Mata’utia (ankle, round 18)

Bradman Best (ankle, round 20-finals)

Edrick Lee (arm, round 19-20)

Tim Glasby (concussion, indefinite)

Andrew McCullough (hamstring, season)

Connor Watson (Achilles, season)

Jayden Brailey (knee, season)

Sharks

Injured in Round 15: Lost Shaun Johnson pre-game after he was unable to attend training late in the week due to the birth of his first child. Already managing a groin injury throughout the week it was going to be too much of a risk to run Johnson out with such a limited preparation. He is expected to be back next week.

Returning: Andrew Fifita is also expected back in Round 16 from finger surgery, with the extra time off likely providing him with benefits beyond his repaired finger as he continues to manage a chronic knee injury. Managing training load is the best way to achieve optimal performance with these injury types, which is something Fifita will have been able to do in spades over the past month. Chad Townsend is only two weeks away from being available after rehab on a grade two calf strain.

Full casualty ward: Shaun Johnson (groin, round 16)

Andrew Fifita (finger/knee, round 16)

Chad Townsend (calf, round 16-18)

Jackson Ferris (knee, round 17-19)

Bronson Xerri (stood down)

Cameron King (ACL, season)

Andrew Fifita is expected back in 2 weeks after having surgery on a dislocated finger. Would be a return 4 weeks post surgery. Quite the effort to play 3 weeks with the injury before undergoing scans pic.twitter.com/QirGfSkTDY

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) August 6, 2020

Tigers

Injured in Round 15: Avoided injury this week

Returning: The Tigers will make one last push for finals inclusion and they should be able to do this with their star rookie Harry Grant. He hopes to return in Round 16 after three weeks off due to minor meniscus surgery. Training this week will be the deciding factor. How Grant’s knee pulls up with the increased running (does it stiffen up/become swollen?) will determine his availability. It is common to see a return within 3-5 weeks after this surgery type.

Zane Musgrove continues his rehab from a Lisfranc injury. With Round 16-18 being expected best case. He is another with the possibility this timeline could be pushed due to the gradual progress commonly seen in Lisfranc injury rehab.

Full casualty ward: Harry Grant (knee, round 16)

Zane Musgrove (foot, round 16-18)

Michael Chee Kam (concussion, indefinite)

Billy Walters (knee, season)

Dragons

Injured in Round 15: Korbin Sims suffered a calf injury on the last run of the game. Thankfully he was cleared of serious injury with the hope of just a severe cramp or minor strain. This likely means a 1-3 week recovery. Prop Paul Vaughan will miss two matches after entering an early guilty plea to a crusher tackle charge.

Returning: Whilst Tariq Sims was initially expected to miss up to six weeks with a grade three AC joint injury it would not be surprising to see him return early. Many players are able to get the pain under control using pain killing injections and thorough strapping, which often results in a 3-4 week return to play.

Full casualty ward: Paul Vaughan (suspension, round 18)

Korbin Sims (calf, TBC)

Jackson Ford (suspension, round 16)

Billy Brittain (ankle, round 16-17)

Tyrell Fuimaono (suspension, round 17)

Tariq Sims (shoulder, round 20)

Jack de Belin (stood down)

Sea Eagles

Injured in Round 15: Moses Suli is set to miss 3-5 months with a foot injury.

Returning: Tom Trbojevic is now hoping to return in Round 17, which would be an 11 week return to play after he suffered a grade two hamstring injury earlier this season. Whilst this has been billed as a rehab process full of “major setbacks” for Turbo, this is likely far from the truth. It is common, and smart, for an athlete to take their time in rehab from a recurrent hamstring strain such as this.

The Manly medical staff are being extremely thorough, even checking his hamstring healing via regular MRI scans (which isn’t a common requirement for return to play). Whilst it has no doubt been extremely frustrating for the club and fans alike, it is most important that when Trbojevic does return to the park his risk of a further hamstring injury is as low as humanly possible. Dylan Walker is also a chance to return in the final rounds as he waits for his foot to heal from a second consecutive fracture.

Full casualty ward: Moses Suli (foot, season)

Joel Thompson (tongue, round 16)

Tom Trbojevic (hamstring, round 17)

Dylan Walker (foot, round 17-19)

Addin Fonua-Blake (knee, round 18)

Manase Fainu (stood down/shoulder)

Brendan Elliot (knee, season)

Worst fears confirmed for Moses Suli after scans revealed a Lisfranc injury/fracture (midfoot sprain). Will likely undergo surgery with a usual recovery time of 3-5 months. Worth noting studies have shown a 20% ⬇️ in performance in a player’s first year back from Lisfranc surgery pic.twitter.com/FBNho0jMhk

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) August 23, 2020

Warriors

Injured in Round 15: Lost Chanel Harris-Tavita and Adam Keighran to concussions after they suffered a head clash at training. Patrick Herbert also suffered a hamstring tear early in the week, with a return pencilled in for Round 18-19.

Returning: Unfortunately no major returns of note for the Warriors.

Full casualty ward: Chanel Harris-Tavita (concussion, round 16)

Adam Keighran (concussion, round 16)

Nathaniel Roache (knee, round 16)

Patrick Herbert (hamstring, round 18-19)

Leeson Ah Mau (pectoral, indefinite)

Rocco Berry (back, indefinite)

Leivaha Pulu (compassionate leave, season)

Agnatius Paasi (compassionate leave, season)

David Fusitu’a (compassionate leave, season)

Ken Maumalo (compassionate leave, season)

King Vuniyayawa (compassionate leave, season)

Taane Milne (knee, season)

Jackson Frei (knee, season)

Bunty Afoa (knee, season)

Selestino Ravutaumada (season)

Titans

Injured in Round 15: Nathan Peats suffered what appeared to be a minor calf strain. He should miss 1-3 weeks if confirmed by scans. Ash Taylor was ruled out pre-game with a quad cork but he should be fine for next week. Titans prop Moeaki Fotuaika is facing a two-week ban after being charged with a crusher tackle offence.

Returning: Good news this week with Jai Arrow told he will not require surgery on his grade three AC joint injury. This injury rarely requires surgery, with players often able to return in 3-4 weeks with the help of pain killing injections and strapping.

Jai Arrow injured his shoulder during the Titans’ clash with the Sharks. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Full casualty ward: Moeaki Fotuaika (facing suspension, TBC)

Nathan Peats (calf, TBC)

Ash Taylor (quad, round 16)

Mitch Rein (knee, round 16-17)

Jonus Pearson (pectoral, round 16-17)

Kevin Proctor (suspension, round 19)

Jai Arrow (shoulder, indefinite)

Ryan James (knee, season)

Dale Copley (pectoral, season)

Broncos

Injured in Round 15: Anthony Milford failed to finish their Round 15 game although no injury has been reported. He did make an earlier than expected return from a grade two hamstring strain, missing just two weeks, so hopefully there was no re-aggravation there. Tom Flegler suffered an injury to the ligaments in his left shoulder joint last weekend, with scans revealing he will require shoulder reconstruction surgery.

Whilst there was initially some talk he may opt to delay surgery and try and play through until season’s end, Flegler and the Broncos took the safe option in shutting him down to stabilise the joint. Playing through injuries such as this comes with risk for further joint damage if a subluxation or dislocation occurs, and the risk vs reward in this scenario likely wasn’t worth it.

Broncos hooker Issac Luke is facing a one-match ban even with an early guilty plea.

Returning: Alex Glenn started running last week as he looks likely to return from an MCL rupture in Round 17-18. Xavier Coates’ foot sprain is reportedly only minor meaning he is likely to be available in the next 1-2 weeks. Corey Oates was initially hoping to return in Round 14 after suffering a deep laceration in his thigh, but his return has been delayed.

Lacerations that involve significant tissue damage like this can take up to eight weeks for adequate healing, so he should be approaching a return in Round 17-19. Jake Turpin may return in the final round or two of the regular season if his hand fractures heal enough within the expected 4-6 weeks recovery time.

Full casualty ward: Issac Luke (facing suspension, TBC)

Alex Glenn (knee, round 16-17)

Anthony Milford (hamstring, TBC)

Xavier Coates (foot, round 16-17)

Jake Turpin (hand, round 18-20)

Tevita Pangai Jnr (suspended, indefinite)

Corey Oates (leg, indefinite)

Sean O’Sullivan (knee, indefinite)

Keenan Palasia (knee, indefinite)

Tesi Nui (wrist, season)

Matt Lodge (leg, season)

Jack Bird (ACL, season)

Thomas Flegler (shoulder, season)

Bulldogs

Injured in Round 15: None

Returning: Will Hopoate returned for the Bulldogs on Sunday, an eight week return to play after undergoing syndesmosis repair surgery.

Full casualty ward: Dylan Napa (suspension, round 16)

Joe Stimson (shoulder, season)

Adam Elliott (shoulder, season)

Originally published as NRL Casualty Ward: Jason Taumalolo set to play again this season