NRL casualty ward: Grand final edition
Get set for a week of injury drama heading into the grand final with a number of key players racing the clock.
Raiders
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After the Cooper Cronk fractured scapula saga of 2018 it seems we are once again in for a week of injury drama leading into the grand final between the Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders on Sunday night.
For the Roosters, there was plenty of mystery surrounding the fitness of Luke Keary prior to his side’s preliminary final win over the Storm. Reports emerged the star five-eighth had been seen in a moon boot, and was not seen running at training sessions open to the media during the week.
Thankfully for the defending premiers Keary was able to complete the full 80 minutes, but finished with a visible limp which seemed to present after a simple landing after a kick late in the second half. Post-match his ankle was heavily packed with ice, and in leaving the stadium he was pictured wearing an aircast ankle brace.
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Roosters coach Trent Robinson then revealed Keary was unable to train until the Friday before the game, but was hopeful the extra week of recovery would be put to good use. When Keary was interviewed he indicated he expected to be fit to play in the grand final.
The Roosters week one finals game against the Rabbitohs appears to be where Keary suffered the initial injury. Considering the way he went down (the initial injury mechanism), the innocuous manner in which he appeared to aggravate the injury during Saturday night’s game (a simple landing after putting up a kick), the location of the ice packed high up on his ankle, and the use of an aircast ankle brace, it appears Keary is dealing with a high or lateral ankle ligament injury.
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If this is the case it is very possible he has been playing through at least a moderate sprain, especially seeing he was unable to train on the injury for the best part of two weeks leading into the preliminary final.
Provided the re-aggravation did not cause further damage to his ankle, the injury is unlikely to cause Keary to miss the grand final. He may require the assistance of pain-killing injections, and the risk of in-game re-aggravation will likely still be there, but the Roosters appear confident their 2018 Clive Churchill medallist will be ready to go come Sunday night.
Meanwhile, Keary is free to play the grand final despite being hit with a grade one careless high tackle charge for a shot on Storm forward Felise Kaufusi.
Jake Friend will be included in the 21-man squad for the decider, but will need to overcome a calf injury. The Roosters skipper had been attempting to return from a forearm fracture and post-operative infection before suffering the calf injury during training last week. He received an injection, likely PRP, in an effort to assist with healing and reduce recovery time. Unfortunately these changes in healing don’t often occur until at least two weeks post injection, but with such an important game on the line the Roosters will be doing everything they can to speed up the process.
Friend was reportedly able to run at the final training session of the week, but was unable to hit top speed and get full power out of his calf. The calf is an extremely important muscle for power and speed during push off, and whilst Friend’s game doesn’t always rely on explosive speed he will still put his calf under plenty of stress if he is able to play.
Calf injuries commonly linger and have a high rate of reoccurrence, particularly if a return to play occurs before full recovery. Friend won’t want to run the risk of re-straining his calf early in the game and leaving the Roosters a man short, especially with his replacement Sam Verrills playing so well.
The Roosters also have utility Mitchell Aubusson in doubt after he suffered a concussion against the Storm. He will need to pass protocol during the week.
The Raiders have a calf injury of their own to contend with after Joey Leilua was unable to finish the game on Friday night. The blockbusting centre limped away after making a tackle midway through the second half, and despite the application of some strapping he was unable to continue.
Initially there was uncertainty whether he had suffered a calf strain or contusion, but replays of the incident showed a stray elbow landing heavily on his medial calf. This brings concern for a significant calf contusion (cork) or tibial (lower leg bone) bone bruise.
Whilst Leilua was seen with his leg heavily iced and limping post game, a calf contusion is the “preferred” kind of calf injury compared to a true muscle strain (stretching of the muscle fibres). The fact he was bearing some weight through his leg is also a positive sign that there is minimal concern for a significant bone injury (tibia fracture).
A more common calf strain, of any severity, would have almost ruled Leilua out of the grand final immediately as they are extremely difficult to play through if not at 100 per cent. True calf muscle strains commonly linger, particularly in an explosive and powerful player like Leilua.
A contusion will still involve damage to the muscle tissue, and often significant bleeding, but with less separation of the muscle fibres compared to a strain it gives him a much greater chance at being fit within a week. Return to play times are usually determined by the amount of bleeding in the leg, and thankfully most players are able to recover within 5-10 days. The main treatment aims will be to control the pain and swelling (which often increases in the coming days) followed by ramping up his activity later in the week in an attempt to regain function and muscle power.
It will still be quite the challenge for Leilua to regain 100 per cent effectiveness by grand final day, though a contusion gives him the best possible chance of running out for the Raiders’ first appearance in a decider in 25 years.
The Green Machine will also be sweating on the fitness of Jack Wighton, who injured his shoulder during an awkward landing on Friday night.
The mechanism of injury suggested the Raiders five-eighth suffered an AC joint sprain or even a shoulder subluxation (minor dislocation), but thankfully he was able to play through until the end of the game. Despite initially being unable to lift his arm above shoulder height, he had regained much of his range of movement by full time.
This is another injury likely to become more painful and stiff in the coming days, and if it was the regular season Wighton may have even missed a week or two to recover. But with the most important game of the year on next weekend Wighton will almost certainly be there, as this is an injury that can be managed well with pain relief and strapping.
The eliminated teams, Melbourne Storm and South Sydney Rabbitohs, have injury concerns of their own but none likely to significantly affect their start to preseason training.
Felise Kaufusi suffered what was described as a “busted rib”, and despite persisting through the pain was then removed for a HIA after a heavy tackle from Keary. The rib injury at worst will cost him 4-6 weeks if there is a significant fracture present.
Ryan Papenhuyzen will also enter the NRL’s concussion protocol after a traumatic head clash late in the game. Whilst he no doubt suffered a concussion, there were also concerns for facial fractures as he came from the field with blood flowing from his jaw. If jaw fractures are present, the required recovery can range from 1-3 months.
James Roberts was unable to suit up for the Rabbitohs in the preliminary final after suffering a compound dislocation (bone pierced the skin) of his thumb last week. In good news for Roberts he appeared to dislocate the distal joint in his thumb, which usually involves a much quicker recovery than the more commonly dislocated thumb joints closer to the wrist. Described by the Rabbitohs as mostly a pain tolerance issue, Roberts was still in too much pain to effectively grip the ball and tackle. He will likely be back to 100 per cent within the next few weeks.
JUDICIARY REPORT
* Luke Keary - Free to play the grand final despite being hit with a grade one careless high tackle charge for a shot on Storm forward Felise Kaufusi. Keary will be fined $1,150 if he takes the early guilty plea or $1,500 if he fights the charge and loses. Keary escaped charge for pulling the hair of Kaufusi during the same incident.
* Josh Papalii - The Canberra front-rower has been cleared to play in next weekend’s grand final in a massive boost to the Raiders’ hopes of winning the premiership.
The Kangaroos and Maroons enforcer was placed on report for a high shot on South Sydney Rabbitohs fullback Adam Douehi in the second half of the grand final qualifier, won 16-10 by the Raiders. Match review panel members on Saturday morning looked at all television angles before determining the tackle did not warrant a charge.
* Zane Tetevano - Free to play after avoiding charge. He was placed on report for second half high tackle on Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen.
* Iosia Soliola - Free to play the grand final despite a high tackle charge that will cost him up to a $1,500 fine.