Will Genia to be sidelined for eight weeks after Reds and Wallabies agree he needs ankle surgery

AXED Wallabies halfback Will Genia’s season of woe has worsened with ankle surgery to sideline him for the next eight weeks.

Qld Reds vs The Highlanders, at Suncorp Stadium.Will Genia. Pic Jono Searle

A long-term ankle injury requiring surgery has shed some light on Will Genia’s form dip, and subsequent axing from the Wallabies team.

Genia will this week undergo keyhole surgery on a persistent ankle ligament injury and will be sidelined for up to eight weeks. Melbourne halfback Luke Burgess was added to the squad.

It was revealed on Sunday that Genia first suffered the ankle injury two months ago, and unaware of its seriousness, the Queensland halfback continued to play and train.

Increasing discomfort in the ankle saw Genia initially sent for a cortisone injection last week, however, and new scans revealed the full extent the injury, and the fact it was worsening.

Asked if the injury contributed to the form deemed not good enough for a spot in 23-man Wallabies team in the French series, Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie said: “There’s no doubt the nature of the injury he’s got wouldn’t have helped his performance.”

Assured it would not pose any risk, Genia chose to ignore the pain played 40 minutes of club rugby for Wests in Brisbane on Saturday.

“He injured the ankle some weeks back but plugged away and didn’t realise the extent of it other than it was becoming more and more irritable,” McKenzie said.

“It ended up being worse than everyone thought. He’d been training and playing. He hadn’t missed a training session on the Gold Coast, he was doing extra running sessions. He has obviously carried it pretty well.”

“The scans showed some bony growth which would suggest there’s been some instability in the ankle. Two surgeons advised an operation so we decide to go down that path.”

McKenzie said he hoped Genia would be back in mid-August, and potentially available for selection for the Bledisloe Cup games on August 17 and 23.

The Wallabies coach said he’d been happy with the form of Nic White and late-game impact of Nick Phipps.

Originally published as Will Genia to be sidelined for eight weeks after Reds and Wallabies agree he needs ankle surgery