NRL casualty ward 2023: Kieran Foran, AJ Brimson injured, Jeremiah Nanai on report for ugly lifting tackle

The Titans have suffered a massive blow, suffering key injuries to their spine, while a Cowboys star will be sweating on the charge sheet, after being cited for an ugly lifting tackle.

Just hours after signing a contract extension, Mitchell Moses claimed victory for Parramatta. Picture: Getty Images.

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The Cowboys win over the Titans has come at a massive cost for both teams, with a host of players going down injured, and another facing a possible stint on the sidelines through suspension.

The Titans spine has been hit hard, with Kieran Foran forced from the field just after the 20th minute with a suspected calf injury, while Queensland Maroons hopeful AJ Brimson went down clutching at his hamstring just moments later.

The Titans will be sweating on the fitenss of AJ Brimson and Kieran Foran, after losing both to injury in their loss to the Cowboys. Picture: Getty Images.

Then in the final minute before half-time, the Cowboys’ sensational Kangaroos winger Murray Taulagi went down with a right medial cruciate ligament (MCL) injury.

That continued in the second half with injuries to James Tamou and Gehamat Shibasaki, ensuring both teams will be sweating on injury news heading into round 5.

“Kieran’s calf and AJ’s hamstring, as for how bad I’m not too sure yet, but they’re never easy injuries to come back from in a short time,” Holbrook said.

And in another blow for the Cowboys, star backrower Jeremiah Nanai was sin-binned and placed on report for an ugly lifting tackle on Phillip Sami, which could see him facing a possible suspension if charged for the incident.

Cowboys star Jeremiah Nanai could be facing a suspension, after being put on report and sin-binned for an ugly lifting tackle on Phillip Sami. Picture: NRL Images.

DOLPHINS ROCKED BY SEVERITY OF PLAYMAKER’S PAINFUL BLOW

—Peter Badel

The Dolphins have suffered a crushing blow with key halfback Sean O’Sullivan to undergo surgery on a torn pectoral muscle.

O’Sullivan suffered the injury in the Dolphins’ gutsy 18-12 derby loss to the Broncos on Friday night and it is understood Redcliffe’s first-choice No.7 faces more than three months on the sidelines.

O’Sullivan will go under the knife in coming days and is expected to miss 14 weeks, meaning the playmaker may not return until round 18 — ironically for the Dolphins’ next clash against the Broncos at the Gabba on July 1.

The 24-year-old was controlling the Dolphins’ nicely against the Broncos, only to tear his pec as he attempted a tackle in the 61st minute of the Battle of Brisbane.

Sean O’Sullivan in agony.

Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett lamented the loss of O’Sullivan, whose absence puts enormous pressure on rookie half Isaiya Katoa to step up alongside Anthony Milford in next Saturday’s away clash against the Dragons.

“It’s a shame because Sean has been great for us in the opening month,” Bennett said.

“Sean is a guy who will never let you down, he has been great value for us, he has done a very good job steering us around.”

Katoa was impressive in the opening three rounds playing outside O’Sullivan at pivot, but the 20-year-old is a natural halfback who wore the No.7 in the lower grades at his former club Penrith.

O’Sullivan wasn’t the only Dolphins braveheart, with skipper Jesse Bromwich lauding the effort of winger Tesi Niu, who was barely able to run for 70 minutes after injuring his knee tackling Selwyn Cobbo.

“Wayne gave Tesi a huge wrap in the sheds for the way he was able to push through and we really needed that,” Bromwich said.

“For a young guy to put his body on the line for the team shows you what kind of club we want to be and what kind of a club we are.

“He toughed it out for us.”

Bromwich was rapt with the Dolphins’ performance to fight back from an 8-0 deficit, only suffering defeat in the final minute when Kotoni Staggs streaked away,

“I am very proud of the effort, just going out there and competing on everything,” he said.

“We had a lot of things not go our way, but we didn’t play the smartest either. The effort and turning up for each other, I can’t give the guys a big enough wrap for the way we went about it.

“That’s what we want to be about. We trained that way, our pre-season was that way, and all the boys were willing to work for each other.

“They just turn up every day, as long as we keep doing that I will be happy with that.”

O’Sullivan lays off a pass during the Battle of Brisbane.

BANNED SKIPPER THOUGHT HE’D COST EELS VICTORY

Michael Carayannis

Parramatta skipper Junior Paulo will miss two matches for his high tackle on Penrith’s Zac Hosking in the dramatic final minute of regulation time on Thursday night.

Paulo has been whacked with a grade two careless high tackle charge. With an early guilty plea he will miss two games but if he fights the charge and losses he will be sidelined for three matches. The Eels play the Roosters and the Tigers in the next two weeks.

Paulo was sin-binned inside the final minute and the resultant penalty allowed Nathan Cleary to be in position to slot a two-point field goal which sent the match into golden point.

The Eels skipper thought he cost his side the game as he watched on from the CommBank Stadium dug-out as Cleary drew the scores level.

“I was standing on the sidelines,” he told ABC Sport after the game.

“I was disappointed with myself and my actions in such an important crucial moment of the game. Fortunately the boys pulled through.

“I was nervous sitting on the sideline waiting around.”

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Junior Paulo was sent to the sin bin for his high shot, and now faces a two-week ban. Picture: Getty Images

Penrith hooker Mitch Kenny also spent the final moments of golden point in the sin-bin for a high tackle on Waqa Blake. He will pay a $1800 fine for the tackle after being hit with a grade one careless high tackle charge.

Parramatta winger Maika Sivo was also charged for a grapple tackle on Hosking. It is his third offence in the past 12 months which means he has been hit with a $3000 fine.

Despite a winless start to the season, Paulo felt it was an easy fix to turn the side around.

“We knew we had to keep turning up with the right attitude,” Paulo said. “Discipline is the thing. I had to learn that one. Results could’ve been the other way around. Being disciplined that’s what we need to do.”

The Eels welcomed back Ryan Matterson on Thursday night but fellow back-rower Shaun Lane is expected to miss at least one more game.

Ofahiki Ogden or Jirah Momoisea are a chance to be thrown into the 17 to face the Roosters next Thursday.

Originally published as NRL casualty ward 2023: Kieran Foran, AJ Brimson injured, Jeremiah Nanai on report for ugly lifting tackle