NRL 2021: Cameron McInnes suffers ACL injury at Dragons training

Cameron McInnes will spend his final year as a Dragon on the sidelines, but the club has vowed it won’t walk away from the Sharks recruit.

Cameron McInnes of the Dragons (right) reacts after his team conceded a try during the Round 4 NRL match between the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the St George Illawarra Dragons at Bankwest Stadium in Sydney, Monday, June 8, 2020. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

St George Illawarra will head to the market to find a replacement for Cameron McInnes immediately after an innocuous training incident ruled him out for the rest of the season.

McInnes was training with the rest of the Dragons squad on Friday morning when he was completing a defensive drill. His studs got stuck into the ground and he twisted as he was completed the drill which led to the rupture of his anterior cruciate ligament.

The injury will rule McInnes, who has won St George Illawarra’s player of the year in the past two years, out for the rest of the season and will end his five year stint at the Dragons as he takes up a four year deal to join Cronulla next year.

“Everyone is disappointed. Injuries are part of the game and it’s a brutal game sometimes when you get a curveball like that,” said Dragons coach Anthony Griffin, speaking after his side’s defeat in the opening trial of the season.

“But they’re a good group and a strong group, and we’ll keep moving, we’ll deal with it.

“It’s sad to lose him.”

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Cameron McInnes will miss the 2021 season after suffering an ACL injury at training. Picture: AAP.

St George Illawarra head of football Ben Haran said the club would standby McInnes and help his recovery.

“From everyone’s perspective these types of injuries are always devastating,” Haran said. “He is a great competitor and someone who was going to play a big part of our season.

“He has a great attitude which he will take through his rehab and he will get through it. We will be there to support him the whole way through. The whole club will help him get through his rehab.

“The club will support him. It’s something I feel strongly about.”

The Sharks will honour their commitment to the 27-year-old. The impending arrival of Andrew McCullough is now even more important to the Dragons given McInnes’ injury. McCullough will slot into the no. 9 jersey once the Dragons and Brisbane finally agree to the protracted negotiations. The deal seems inevitable. St George Illawarra will now need to rethink their lock position given McInnes’ injury and Jack de Belin’s continued unavailability.

Cameron McInnes ACL: expectations for next season https://t.co/gU1UAIeAYw

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) February 12, 2021

The likes of Kaide Ellis, Jackson Ford, Jack Bird, Tyrell Fuimaono and Blake Lawrie will compete for the vacant lock position. The Dragons have some money in the salary cap to attract another middle forward.

“The first two trials become a bit more important for a few fringe players rather than the Charity Shield,” Haran said. “The Charity Shield will be interesting because you’re going to pick the team that we believe will play in round one.

“We’ve always been in the market for a player around that middle position. We will continue to see what pops up.”

The injury also ends speculation regarding McInnes’ captaincy. Coach Anthony Griffin was undecided if McInnes would retain the captaincy given his defection to Cronulla. The likes of Ben Hunt and Tariq Sims are the frontrunners to lead the Dragons.

McInnes consulted a surgeon on Friday afternoon.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Cameron McInnes suffers ACL injury at Dragons training