NRL round 16: Luke Keary suffers suspected fractured jaw in Roosters’ 18-16 win over Newcastle

A much-needed Roosters win has been soured by a suspected fractured jaw to playmaker Luke Keary.

Luke Keary.

The Roosters have suffered a major blow with fears Luke Keary suffered a fractured jaw in their gutsy 18-16 win over Newcastle that has breathed new life into their season.

The veteran five-eighth was trying to make a cover tackle on Knights speedster Dom Young when he copped a stray boot to the face.

“People get boots all the time from different angles, but for him to break his jaw like that, that’s our game. It’s really difficult,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.

Keary left the field immediately and went straight up the tunnel with the club fearing the three-time premiership winner had fractured his jaw in the contact and could miss up to eight weeks.

Luke Keary in the sheds with a suspected fractured jaw.

Swelling was evident not long after Keary went off.

“It galvanised the group,” Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves said.

“Everyone knew their role was pretty clear.

“As soon as I saw the jaw, I knew it was broken straight away. As soon as Drew (Hutchison) came on the field, he knew his role.”

It would be a catastrophic blow for a side that has scored the fewest points this season and is battling to stay in touch with the top eight.

Initial reports of a possible fractured jaw for Luke Keary. If confirmed usual recovery time of 4-8 weeks pending nature of fracture (multiple fracture sites? surgery required?). Considering Keary’s history also some heightened concern for concussion - hope he’s OK

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) June 17, 2023

There was no suggestion that Keary had suffered any concussion symptoms given his history of head knocks, but he appeared in discomfort in the sheds before he was sent for scans.

It’s another setback for the Roosters who are already without injured stars Sam Walker and Brandon Smith, but at least they returned to winning wins after they survived a furious second-half comeback to hold on by two points.

JOSEPH IS THE MANU

Roosters coach Trent Robinson faces a selection headache next week after Joseph Manu ran for more metres than any player has produced in a game this season in a stunning return to fullback.

There is no doubt that skipper James Tedesco will slot straight back in if he gets through Origin, but Robinson must now decide if he shifts Manu to five-eighth again or if he picks him at right centre.

Manu was ineffective in the halves this season where he’d scored just one try and had one assist, but Keary’s injury means he might have to go back there next week.

The Golden Boot winner showed he may in fact be the best fullback in the world after putting up absurd numbers in Newcastle.

He had 178 metres, five tackle busts and four offloads in the first half alone, finishing with a whopping 295 metres and a superb solo try when his team needed him most.

“I love running the ball and the freedom the fullback position gives you,” he said after the game.

“It was nice to play there.”

Joey Manu relished featuring at fullback.

KNIGHTMARE

There would have been a quiet optimism in the Hunter after the Knights pushed premiership heavyweights the Broncos all the way last week, but the dream quickly became a nightmare in what turned out to be a horror show.

A big crowd was let down by one of the worst performances by Newcastle this season against a patchwork Roosters side that was there to be beaten.

The Knights gave their loyal fans false hope when Dom Young scored a fortuitous early try but that was the only first-half highlight as they found new ways to implode.

Nothing summed up the afternoon quite like a bombed try in the second half when Kalyn Ponga broke through, only for his teammates to somehow come up with a string of shocking passes that saw the ball dribble into touch.

Ponga had a terrific game at the back but he can’t do everything for this team.

“The dressing room is really hurting,” Knights coach Adam O’Brien said.

“We punched enough holes in them, but we just couldn’t find the last bit of our execution. We were a bit panicky.”

Originally published as NRL round 16: Luke Keary suffers suspected fractured jaw in Roosters’ 18-16 win over Newcastle