Injury Update: Cowboys forward Luki to undergo surgery

Cowboys backrower Heilum Luki will undergo surgery in the coming days after picking up an ankle injury in North Queensland’s 21-20 golden point victory over Newcastle.

North Queensland Cowboys backrower Heilum Luki will require surgery. Picture: Scott Davis / NRL Imagery

Heilum Luki is set to write another chapter into his extensive history of recovery after suffering an injury setback that threatens to derail his sensational start to the season.

Cowboys general manager of football Micheal Luck confirmed Luki would travel to Brisbane on Monday as he prepares to go under the knife for a syndesmosis injury picked up against the Knights.

While the outlook is still vague for the Cowboys forward, the extent of the injury will be assessed during the procedure and a worse-case scenario would see Luki miss six to eight weeks.

Luki left the field around the half-hour mark with an ankle complaint in the Cowboys’ 21-20 golden point comeback victory over Newcastle on Saturday.

Luki underwent scans on Sunday morning to determine the severity of his injury.

Heilum Luki of the Cowboys looks on from the bench after being injured. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

On Saturday night North Queensland coach Todd Payten said initial signs weren’t positive for his athletic backrower.

“High ankle sprain. He’s wearing a boot, he’ll go for a scan. He didn’t come back so that’s not a good sign. I can’t tell you any more than that because I haven’t spoken to anyone on the medical team,” Payten said.

The injury concerns put a dampener on a miraculous game where the Cowboys took their first lead of the match in the 82nd minute.

Payten said his side were lucky to escape with the two points.

“I wouldn’t say we deserved to win but we found a way. In 10-12 weeks now one really remembers how you won,” Payten said.

“I thought Tommy Dearden’s efforts throughout the game were incredible. When it mattered we got it done, but we didn’t play well.”

Dearden had a hand in everything and no one watching the game could have missed the countless intangible efforts the tireless five-eighth made throughout the contest. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

North Queensland’s new co-captains led from the front with inspirational performances.

Reuben Cotter made a game-high 53 tackles without a miss at almost 95 per cent efficiency and he led the Cowboys forward pack in minutes played with 66.

Dearden had a hand in everything and no one watching the game could have missed the countless intangible efforts the tireless five-eighth made throughout the contest.

Cotter credited his playmaker for setting a huge example for the team.

“He was great, he’s all effort and I love the way he plays,” Cotter said.

“He steps up in the big moments.

“He’s not the biggest bloke but he’s got the biggest heart, so we love him.”

It was the first time the pair had led out the team on home soil at Queensland Country Bank Stadium and a wall of noise greeted two of the youngest captains in North Queensland’s history.

“The atmosphere was great,” Cotter said. “Leading the boys out for the first time at home was pretty special too. We were very excited coming into this game and the crowd really got behind us.”

Originally published as Injury Update: Cowboys forward Luki to undergo surgery