Injured Melbourne and Queensland fullback Billy Slater out for the season

QUEENSLAND fullback Billy Slater will miss Origin III after he was ruled out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.

MELBOURNE Storm superstar Billy Slater’s NRL season is over.

Slater will undergo surgery in the coming week to repair a labral tear of his glenohumeral joint to his left shoulder, an injury he sustained in Storm’s Round 5 match against the New Zealand Warriors at AAMI Park.

It means he will miss the remainder of the season in big blow to Melbourne’s premiership hopes.

Slater played in Wednesday night’s State of Origin blockbuster at the MCG.

He had some good moments but was clearly struggling with the ongoing injury.

Billy Slater of the Maroons reacts after being tackled.

“After each game I play, the battle to get up for the next week is becoming harder and the shoulder takes longer to settle down not allowing me to play to my full potential,” Slater said.

“Each week I’ve been focused on getting up for the next game and was able to do that for Origin on Wednesday night at the MCG, however the best decision is to undergo surgery now.

“I’m extremely disappointed not to be available to play for Queensland in Game 3 and especially for the rest of the season with Melbourne Storm

Storm football boss Frank Ponissi said the decision is in the best interests of Slater and the club.

“At the time we made the decision with Billy to take the conservative approach and rehab and strengthen the joint to get to the end of the season, but knowing potentially at some stage we wouldn’t be able to continue with this approach,” Ponissi said.

“While we would love to see Billy out on the field for the rest of the season, it was becoming harder for him to recover each week between limiting his preparation for games.”

Billy Slater of the Maroons is tackled.

It comes as departing Storm chief executive Mark Evans yesterday said that contract discussions with Slater, who is off contract at the season’s end, are well advanced.

Although the length of the new deal is still to be determined.

“It is going very, very well,” Evans said.

“I think it is extremely unlikely that Billy Slater will not be with Melbourne Storm going forward.

“It is almost inconceivable that the club and one of its greatest ever players won’t come to an agreement.”

Incoming Storm chief executive Dave Donaghy shared the view he wants Slater to remain a one-club player.

“That is certainly progressing,” Donaghy said.

“I’m yet to officially step into the role, but Billy has been a fantastic player for this club.

“And it would be great to see guys like Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk finish as one-club players.”

Originally published as Injured Melbourne and Queensland fullback Billy Slater out for the season