Billy Slater out indefinitely following another shoulder injury

MELBOURNE star Billy Slater is out indefinitely following another shoulder injury sustained in the Storm’s Round 1 win over the Dragons.

NRL Round 1 - Melbourne Storm v St George Dragons at AAMI Park, Billy Slater in action. 7th March 2016 Picture: Colleen Petch.

BILLY Slater is said to be “disappointed” and “frustrated” with the Melbourne Storm star set to undergo an arthroscope on his troublesome left shoulder this week.

Slater, 32, has been ruled out indefinitely after pulling up sore following Monday night’s win over St George-Illawarra.

It is the same shoulder that underwent surgery in June last year.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy said the club remained hopeful Slater would not be spending another long chunk on the sidelines.

“He’s a pretty optimistic kind of guy, Bill,” Bellamy said.

“We’re sort of going to wait and see what they find there, but he’s obviously very disappointed and fairly frustrated with what we went through last year.

“Even our medical team and physio say there’s no one they’ve ever seen who works as hard as he does, especially on his injuries.

“He put 100 per cent into getting right again and it’s not quite right.”

Skipper Cameron Smith said he was disappointed for Slater, who he has spent the vast majority of his career playing alongside with.

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“I said to him before we ran out in Round 1 that I was just really glad he was back and I was looking forward to him having a big year,” Smith said.

“I guess I feel similar to him in a way as I’m just disappointed the surgery and the work he’s put into it hasn’t quite gone right.

“We’re all very disappointed he has to go back in, but also quite hopeful it’ll just be something minor.”

Bellamy dismissed any suggestion that Slater rushed his recovery by playing in Storm’s season-opener against the Dragons.

“I don’t think it would have made any difference, to be honest,” Bellamy said.

“He pulled up a little sore from the game, but I don’t think he did any extra damage in the game.

“It is all a bit of a mystery at the moment, but hopefully it’ll be cleared up when he goes in during the week.”

Originally published as Billy Slater out indefinitely following another shoulder injury