NRL casualty ward Round 14: Jai Arrow, Payne Haas, Zac Lomax headline huge injury list

Injuries and suspensions have wrought havoc on the upcoming representative round. Full lowdown with NRL Physio.

Whilst Daly Cherry-Evans was able to re-write the rehab record books and return well ahead of schedule for Origin 1, unfortunately it looks like Queensland and New South Wales will each lose a player to the dreaded syndesmosis injury for the rest of the 2019 Origin series.

Jai Arrow (6-12 weeks) and Nick Cotric (3-4 weeks) have both been ruled out of contention for the game in Perth next weekend and face time on the sideline for their respective club sides as well.

Scans on Arrow’s ankle showed significant ligament damage, which will require a surgical review on Monday.

If he requires surgery the most likely outcome is an 8-10 week recovery.

Whilst we have seen extraordinary rehab efforts from the likes of Cherry-Evans to return in six weeks, this shouldn’t yet be considered the new normal in regards to recovery time from syndesmosis tightrope repair surgery.

Jai Arrow comes off with an ankle injury.

Thankfully the news is significantly better for Cotric, with scans revealing only minor ligament damage and no need for surgical intervention.

This usually results in up to a month on the sideline, and with the Raiders having two byes in the next three weeks it gives Cotric a good opportunity to fully recover for the back end of the season.

NSW have been struck with two significant injury blows with Mitchell Pearce (hip, groin) and Payne Haas (hamstring) ruled out of contention for Origin 2 in Perth next Sunday.

Pearce has been managing an ongoing groin issue, and then reportedly suffered a lower leg contusion (cork) on Saturday against the Storm. He was still hopeful of being available for Origin 2 if he pulled up well, but rang Brad Fittler to indicate he wouldn’t recover with the short turnaround. In good news for Knights fans he is unlikely to require an extended absence, with most corks only requiring 7-10 days recovery.

There has been no update yet on the expected severity of Haas’ hamstring strain, however it’s very likely to be minor with the Broncos prop able to finish the game on Saturday night. Most minor (grade 1) hamstring strains allow a return in 2-4 weeks, meaning with the rep round bye Haas could be back as soon as Round 15 for the Broncos.

Payne Haas (right) has a hamstring injury.

Coen Hess left the field in worrying circumstances on Friday night after going down with a knee injury whilst changing direction. Due to the non-contact nature of the injury this often brings concern for damage to the ACL, however the Cowboys medical staff quickly indicated that their initial assessments suggested the ACL was intact and stable.

Thankfully the hand on tests the medical staff can perform in the sheds are very accurate at assessing if an ACL rupture has occurred, with MRI scans often used to confirm what the medical staff already know in terms of damage to the ligament. This didn’t clear Hess completely though; there was still concern from the Cowboys that Hess has suffered an MCL sprain, which could cost him up to eight weeks on the sideline depending on the severity.

The nature of the injury also brought concern for a meniscus tear or bone bruising within the knee. Scans will reveal the precise nature of the injury, but thankfully it appears Hess has avoided the worst case scenario.

Tyrone Peachey lasted just 12 minutes for the Titans after succumbing to a pectoral injury he initially suffered in the second minute of the game. After assessment from the Titans medical team the hope was Peachey had just suffered a cork, and there was talk he would attempt to return to the field. This did not eventuate, with Peachey reporting a loss of strength after suffering the injury.

Muscle weakness can still occur after a severe cork, however is more common with a muscle strain. The tackle in which Peachey injured himself shows a blow to his chest/pectoral region (more suggestive of a cork), but he also appeared to put the pec under strain as he wrestled the player to the ground. A pectoral cork would not keep Peachey out for an extended period, however a strain could result in 2-6 weeks on the sideline.

Zac Lomax was a late scratching for the Dragons Round 14 game after suffering a broken thumb. Compared to finger fractures, thumb fractures are often more difficult to play through or accelerate recovery due to the thumb’s importance in hand function and extensive range of movement.

If Lomax has escaped with the most minor of fractures that does not require surgery he could hope to return in three weeks. However the majority of thumb fractures need at least four weeks recovery time to allow for adequate bone healing to occur.

Zac Lomax has a broken thumb.

Tohu Harris has been battling an ongoing knee issue which forced him to be ruled out of contention for New Zealand selection next week. He then came from the field on Friday night with an ankle injury. Warriors coach Stephen Kearney did not seem too concerned with either ailment, and with the rep bye week it sounds like the Warriors are confident Harris will be recovered by Round 15.

Initial reports from Manly suggest a suspected strained tendon behind the ankle for Api Koroisau, but not his achilles. Recovery time for tendon strain quite varied depending on specific tendon and severity. Thankfully appears to have avoided a syndesmosis injury.

Apisai Koroisau down with injury.

Dylan Brown is hoping to return for the Eels in Round 15. He has been in rehab for stress fractures and bone bruising in his lower back since Round 3. The youngster still has to pass through contact training but has been running comfortably.

Josh Hoffman went for precautionary scans on his neck after a heavy hit.

Cronulla young gun Bronson Xerri, Dragons hooker Cameron McInnes, Bulldogs recruit Dallin Watene-Zelezniak all failed to finish due to concussions.

JUDICIARY REPORT

Andrew Fifita will fight a judiciary charge that has robbed him of representing Tonga next weekend. Intensely passionate about representing Tonga, Fifita intends to seek a downgrade from a grade two dangerous contact charge to a grade one. If unsuccessful he will miss a total of three matches.

The Cronulla Sharks front-row forward was hit with a grade two dangerous contact charge for a crusher tackle on Canberra’s Ryan Sutton last Thursday night. The charge carries a base penalty of 300-points - the equivalent of three matches.

However, even if Fifita is successful in seeking the downgrade, he could still miss one match which would be Tonga’s much-anticipated clash with New Zealand. He would then need the judiciary panel to acknowledge his clean record over the past two years for a percentage decrease of the grade one charge which carries a base penalty of 100-points. If unsuccessful, Fifita would miss the clash with Tonga as well as Cronulla’s next two matches against Canterbury and Brisbane.

Warriors forward Adam Blair is facing a one game ban for a late shot on Gold Coast half Tyrone Roberts on Friday night. Blair has been charged with a grade one dangerous contact charge by the NRL match review committee.

Newcastle’s Mitchell Barnett is facing a five-game NRL ban after being charged for a crusher tackle on Melbourne’s Jahrome Hughes. The 25-year-old back-rower has been charged with a grade three dangerous contact offence and will miss three weeks with an early guilty plea or five games if he contests the charge and loses.

NRL CASUALTY WARD ROUND 14

BRONCOS

Payne Haas (Hamstring, TBC)

Jack Bird (ACL, Season)

Joe Ofehangaue (Knee, Round 15)

Tom Dearden (Ankle, Round 18-20)

Alex Glenn (Knee, Round 15)

BULLDOGS

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Concussion, TBC)

Jayden Okunbor (Foot, Round 15-17)

Kerrod Holland (Knee, Round 17)

Jack Cogger (Concussion, Round 15)

Lachlan Lewis (Ankle, Round 17-18)

COWBOYS

Coen Hess (Knee, TBC)

Ben Hampton (Biceps, Round 22-25)

Te Maire Martin (Bleed on brain, Indefinite)

Nene MacDonald (Ankle, Season)

Matt Scott (Shoulder, Round 15-17)

Gideon Gela-Mosby (Collarbone, Round 18-22)

Justin O’Neill (Spleen, Indefinite)

Jordan McLean (Hamstring, Round 15-17)

Mitch Dunn (Shoulder, Indefinite)

DRAGONS

Cameron McInnes (Concussion, TBC)

Zac Lomax (Broken thumb, TBC)

Gareth Widdop (Shoulder, Round 20)

Jack de Belin (Stood down, Indefinite)

James Graham (Leg, Round 19-20)

Tim Lafai (Ankle, Round 17)

EELS

Dylan Brown (Back, Round 15)

Josh Hoffman (Neck, TBC)

Kaysa Pritchard (Retired)

KNIGHTS

Mitchell Barnett (Facing suspension, TBC)

Mitchell Pearce (Hip/groin, TBC)

Danny Levi (Ankle, Round 17-19)

Slade Griffin (Knee, Indefinite)

Aidan Guerra (Ankle, Round 15-16)

Nathan Ross (Foot, Retired)

David Klemmer (Wrist, Round 15-17)

PANTHERS

Dean Whare (Hamstring, Round 15-17)

Waqa Blake (Knee, Round 21-22)

Tyrone May (Stood Down, Indefinite)

Tim Grant (Pectoral, Season)

RABBITOHS

Greg Inglis (Shoulder, Retired)

Braidon Burns (Hamstring, Round 15)

Cory Denniss (Shoulder, round 20)

Kurt Dillon (Ankle, Indefinite)

Sam Burgess (Shoulder, Round 17)

Tom Burgess (Ankle, Round 17)

Adam Reynolds (Back, Round 15)

RAIDERS

Nick Cotric (Ankle, Round 17)

Joey Leilua (Bulging disc, Season)

Josh Hodgson (Thumb, Round 15)

Brad Abbey (Knee, Season)

Hudson Young (Suspension, Round 19)

Corey Horsburgh (Elbow, Round 15-16)

ROOSTERS

Luke Keary (Concussion, Round 17-18)

Brett Morris (Knee, Round 15)

Jake Friend (Biceps, Round 19-22)

Lachlan Lam (Wrist, Round 15)

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Suspension, Round 15)

SHARKS

Andrew Fifita (Facing suspension, TBC)

Bronson Xerri (Concussion/neck, TBC)

Aaron Woods (Foot, Round 15)

Jayden Brailey (Knee, Round 15)

SEA EAGLES

Api Koroisau (Ankle, TBC)

Toafofoa Sipley (Knee, Season)

Albert Hopoate (ACL, Season)

Brad Parker (Broken jaw, Round 16-18)

Lachlan Croker (Hamstring, Round 15)

Trent Hodkinson (Knee, Round 15)

STORM

Curtis Scott (Foot, Round 22)

Tom Eisenhuth (Throat, Indefinite)

TIGERS

Mahe Fonua (Foot, Round 23)

TITANS

Tyrone Peachey (Pectoral, TBC)

Jai Arrow (Ankle, Round 19-25)

Philip Sami (Ankle, Round 15)

Ryan James (ACL, season)

Michael Gordon (Blood clot, Round 16-18)

Ash Taylor (Personal leave, Round 15)

Kevin Proctor (Fractured eye socket, Round 15-16)

WARRIORS

Tohu Harris (Ankle/knee, Round 15)

Adam Blair (Facing suspension, TBC)

Nathaniel Roache (Back, Round 15)