NRL Physio’s casualty ward Round 2

NRL Physio reveals the latest on Jason Taumalolo, Brett Morris, Cooper Cronk and many more.

Jason Taumalolo has a knee issue. Picture: Alix Sweeney

NRL Physio, aka Brien Seeney, gives his expert analysis of all the Round 1 injuries.

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The Cowboys have confirmed Jason Taumalolo suffered a grade three MCL injury on Friday night, ruling him out for up to 10 weeks.

The injury occurred as he was bent backwards in a tackle with his knee and lower leg getting caught in the turf underneath him.

After playing on with heavy strapping for over 20 minutes he came from the field, and the Cowboys medical staff decided he was not worth risking in the second half.

Jason Taumalolo has sustained a grade 3 medial ligament injury.

He is expected to miss 6-10 weeks. #ridemcowboys pic.twitter.com/Jq6wCegm2w

— NQ Cowboys (@nthqldcowboys) March 25, 2019

Scan results worse than first thought for Jason Taumalolo, suffering a grade 3 (complete tear) of his MCL. The Cowboys expect a 6-10 week recovery period, which is the usual range in the NRL

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 25, 2019

Brien Seeney, AKA NRL Physio.

It is common for these ligament injuries to get much more painful and cause stiffness in the knee as a player cools down.

Taumalolo’s ability to return to the field after half time would have also been influenced by the stability of his knee, which the MCL plays an important role in. There are hands on tests the medical staff can do to check this stability.

Teams are often conservative with sending a player back onto the field with an MCL injury, as it plays an important role in stabilising the knee from collapsing inwards (which is a position of risk for an ACL injury).

Jason Taumalolo has a knee issue. Picture: Alix Sweeney

Taumalolo had scans on his return to Townsville and the Cowboys on Monday confirmed he had sustained a grade three MCL tear.

Taumalolo has experience in rehab from this exact injury. In 2015 he missed just 3 weeks after suffering a grade 2 MCL sprain.

Brett Morris failed to finish for the Roosters, leaving the field shortly before half time after his knee sunk into the Brookvale turf and twisted during a tackle.

The Roosters are confident he will miss just two weeks.

Confirmation from Trent Robinson that initial worry from team is an MCL injury for Brett Morris. He's "wants it to be a low grade MCL". Robinson not happy with amount of give the turf at Brookvale had, said Morris' knee should not have sunk in as far as it did and stuck

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 23, 2019

Joseph Tapine went for scans on a suspected broken thumb that restricted him to 19 minutes on Friday night. This injury is to the same thumb that Tapine broke in late 2018, ending his season.

He also has quite the history of hand issues, suffering fractured fingers in both 2017 and 2018. Usual recovery range for a broken thumb is 4-8 weeks, and can sometimes require surgery. Surgery is not always the sign of a lengthy absence in the NRL though, as the insertion of pins and plates can sometimes help with fracture stability and assist with an earlier return to the field.

Josh Mansour was ruled out of Round 2 after not recovering from a low grade AC joint sprain sustained in Round 1. The AC joint is the joint in the tip of your shoulder, and often is injured due to a direct blow to the shoulder with the arm tucked by the side (most commonly shoulder to shoulder hit in a tackle or a fall directly onto the shoulder).

Players in the NRL will often play through a low grade AC joint injury as Mansour did in Round 1. However this is another injury that often gets more painful as it cools down, and this can limit the function of the shoulder. Luckily for Mansour the pain in low grade AC joint sprains usually only take 2 weeks to settle. Penrith are hopeful of having him back next week.

Josh Mansour has been ruled out of Rd2 with a minor AC joint (tip of shoulder) injury suffered last weekend. Can see direct blow to L shoulder below. Often can play through minor AC jt sprains (as Mansour did in finishing the Rd1 game), but can take 2 weeks to settle completely pic.twitter.com/2laioHYI9I

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 22, 2019

At the Titans, Ash Taylor is considered “week to week” as he continues rehab for a quadriceps tendon strain. Tyrone Roberts is also expected to miss 2-3 weeks after suffering a strain to his achilles tendon. Tendon injuries often have longer healing and recovery times compared to muscles, and the rehab is often more challenging too.

Tendons have less blood supply which can slow early healing. The good news for the Titans’ halves is they appear to be dealing with minor tendon injuries, which would suggest a short term absence for both players.

Cooper Cronk missed the Roosters Round 2 victory after experiencing hamstring tightness late in the week. Even though there is no mention of a strain injury, the Roosters were playing it safe by resting Cronk at this early stage of the season.

Cooper Cronk sat out for the Roosters.

Tightness or restriction in the hamstrings can often be a warning sign to the player and medical staff that there is an increased risk of strain injury, and with the high risk of re-injury and further injury with hamstring issues it is best to be conservative with a return to play. The Roosters are still hopeful of having Cronk back on deck next week.

Michael Morgan spent much of the game favouring his shoulder after grabbing at his upper arm during a tackle early in the second half. Coach Paul Green was not concerned post-match, but one to watch for a potential minor injury to the bicep, shoulder or pec in particular.

Michael Morgan R arm/shoulder concern. Suggestion he carried it from 1st half, but first signs I could find were 2nd half tackles below. Some concern for bicep/pec injury if injury occurred here. Would hope no tear or subluxation & only minor issue; he was able to finish the game pic.twitter.com/5ZjH8HvDqD

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 22, 2019

Jake Friend missed Round 2 with a “shoulder complaint”. At this stage there has been further detail given by the Roosters on the specific nature of the injury or expected recovery time.

Sosaia Feki left the Sharks game on Saturday and was seen heavily icing his right knee on the sidelines. He appeared to injure his knee in the first half and came out after half time heavily strapped. No word on nature or severity as yet.

In #NrlSharksTitans
- Sosaia Feki off with right knee injury, unsure when injury occurred
- Matt Moylan playing on with suspected minor LCL injury (ligament on outside of knee)
- Briton Nikora off for HIA
- Jayden Brailey failed HIA in first half pic.twitter.com/ZInaSPpPUa

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 23, 2019

There was confirmation during the week of a pectoral rupture for Nathan Brown that will require surgery. This is usually a 10-14 week recovery for NRL players. Surgical and rehab advances in the past 15 years have reduced recovery time from the 6 months required in the early 2000s.

Matt Moylan played on through a suspected minor lateral ligament injury. He had his knee heavily strapped but was able to finish the game, which bodes well for his Round 3 availability.

Lachlan Fitzgibbon left the Knights game just before fulltime with what appeared to be severe calf cramps.

Lindsay Collins, Jayden Brailey, Nene Macdonald, John Asiata and Curtis Sironen failed to return after leaving the field to undergo HIAs.

JUDICIARY

South Sydney recruit Liam Knight is facing 1-2 weeks for dangerous contact.

Jayden Brailey suffered a concussion.

FULL NRL CASUALTY WARD

BRONCOS

Payne Haas (Disciplinary, Round 5)

Matt Lodge (Suspension, Round 4)

BULLDOGS

Fa’amanu Brown (Leg, Round 4)

Renouf To’omaga (Hamstring, Round 5)

Brandon Wakeham (Ankle, indefinite)

COWBOYS

Jason Taumalolo (Knee, Round 8-12)

Nene Macdonald (Concussion, TBC)

John Asiata (Concussion, TBC)

Michael Morgan (Shoulder, Round 3)

Kyle Feldt (Groin, TBC)

Murray Taulagi (Knee, TBC)

Scott Bolton (Suspension, Round 6)

DRAGONS

Jack De Belin (Stood down, Indefinite)

Korbin Sims (Suspension, Round 3)

Tyson Frizell (Testicle, Indefinite)

Darren Nicholls (Scapula, Round 7)

EELS

Nathan Brown (Pectoral, Round 14)

Will Smith (Broken arm, Round 8)

Michael Jennings (Suspension, Round 3)

George Jennings (Knee, Round 3)

Kaysa Pritchard (Personal leave, Indefinite)

Manu Ma’u (Knee, Round 6)

Peni Terepo (Stood Down, Indefinite)

KNIGHTS

Lachlan Fitzgibbon (Calf, TBC)

Slade Griffin (Knee, TBC)

Nathan Ross (Finger, Round 5)

Jacob Saifiti (Leg, Indefinite)

Daniel Saifiti (Knee/foot, Round 6)

Pasami Saulo (Hand, Round 5)

ROOSTERS

Brett Morris (Knee, TBC)

Cooper Cronk (Hamstring, TBC)

Ryan Hall (Knee, Round 8)

Jake Friend (Shoulder, TBC)

Lindsay Collins (Concussion, TBC)

PANTHERS

Josh Mansour (Shoulder, TBC)

Sam McKendry (Knee, TBC)

Viliame Kikau (Knee, Round 3-5)

Tyrone May (Stood Down, Indefinite)

Tyrell Fuimaono (Ankle, Round 5)

RABBITOHS

John Sutton (Chest, Round 3)

Adam Doueihi (Knee, Round 4-5)

George Burgess (Suspension, Round 4)

Kurt Dillon (Achilles, Round 3)

Liam Knight (Facing suspension, TBC)

RAIDERS

Joseph Tapine (Thumb, TBC)

Michael Oldfield (Groin, Round 4)

SHARKS

Matt Moylan (Knee, Round 3)

Jayden Brailey (Concussion, TBC)

Wade Graham (Knee, Round 9-12)

Ava Seumanufagai (PCL, Round 4)

Sosaia Feki (Knee, TBC)

SEA EAGLES

Curtis Sironen (Concussion, TBC)

Tom Trbojevic (Hamstring, Round 3)

Taniela Paseka (Knee, Round 3)

Albert Hopoate (Knee, TBC)

Addin Fonua-Blake (Suspension, Round 3)

Dylan Walker (Stood down, Indefininte)

STORM

Scott Drinkwater (Pectoral, Round 8-12)

Tom Eisenhuth (Throat, Indefinite)

Joe Stimson (Back, Round 3)

TIGERS

Chris Lawrence (Broken jaw, TBC)

David Nofaluma (Shoulder, Round 3)

Jacob Liddle (Ankle, Round 6)

TITANS

Ash Taylor (Quad, Round 3)

Tyrone Roberts (Achilles, Round 4-5)

Jack Stockwell (Hip, Round 3)

Will Matthews (Achilles, Round 3)

Dale Copley (Calf, Round 4)

WARRIORS

Nathaniel Roache (Calf, Round 3)