‘All class’: Tiger Kelma Tuilagi praised for helping injured George Jennings off the field

The Melbourne Storm are living an injury nightmare in round but one Wests Tigers star is being praised for classy act for his rival.

Kelma Tuilagi is a legend. Photo: Fox Sports

The Melbourne Storm are in the midst of an opening round injury crisis after two seemingly serious injuries in the only 25 minutes of the game.

And despite going 14-4 down, the Storm romped back to claim the win 26-16 in a hard found win against the Wests Tigers.

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First to go down was Brandon Smith, who left the field inside the opening five minutes with suspected fractured hand, before winger George Jennings left the field on one leg after crumpling to the deck after trying to put on some footwork after the Storm went wide.

Just before full-time, the Storm suffered another blow when prop Christian Welch suffered a suspected ruptured achilles.

Fox League commentator Dan Ginnane explained Jennings had knee problems in the past.

“That was concerning when he had no one near him and he goes straight to the ground,” Ginnane said.

Michael Ennis added: “You never like seeing those. It was a lovely play too and then... That’s classic ACL Dan, I don’t like to say that and I hope I’m wrong.

“Poor bugger.”

Jennings had suffered a left PCL injury last year but the new injury was in his right knee.

But as the Storm trainer was looking to help Jennings off the field, the Tigers’ second rower Kelma Tuilagi came to his aid to help the injured winger from the field.

Kelma Tuilagi is a legend. Photo: Fox Sports

Sports reporter Bernie Coen tweeted: “@WestsTigers Tuilagi all class there helping @storm Jennings.”

Sportsmanship award goes to Kelma Tuilagi for helping the trainer and George Jennings off the field, when no one else came to their aid#NRL#NRLTigersStorm

— Brooke (@03_Brookey) March 12, 2022

Great show of sportsmanship from Kelma Tuilagi to help George Jennings off the field!!! #NRLTigersstorm

— Lola (@The___Matriarch) March 12, 2022

Playing in just his sixth NRL game, Tuilagi had an excellent first half as the Tigers took a 10-4 lead over the Storm into the break with nine runs for 90m and 13 tackles.

The 23-year-old Tuilagi was a former Storm player, having moved to the Tigers at the end of the 2020 season after being a member of the Storm’s premiership winning squad.

But after moving to the Tigers, Tuilagi debuted in round 20 last year and played five matches.

Ginnane said it had been “an ugly night” for the Storm after Smith’s injury from an innocuous tackle.

Not good for the Storm. Photo: Fox Sports

Smith is expected to spend several weeks on the sidelines.

It got “catastrophic” for the Storm when co-captain Christian Welch went down untouched with three minutes left in the game.

The commentators believed it was a second ACL on a brutal for the Storm.

Already without Harry Grant and Cameron Munster, it leaves the Storm short on troops for the second half.

10 News Melbourne’s Nat Yoannidis wrote it had been “disastrous on the injury front”.