The Panthers have suffered yet another injury blow to their already-depleted stocks, with Liam Martin rolling his ankle in Thursday night’s clash with the Storm.
Martin suffered the injury in the second half and hobbled from the field in clear pain, supported by two trainers.
The 25-year-old Blues star later hobbled to the bench using crutches, and was seen with ice wrapped around his ankle.
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INJURED IN ROUND 22
Liam Martin (ankle) – TBC
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Liam Martin copped a painful ankle injury in another blow to the Panthers.Source: FOX SPORTS
The Wallabies will be forced to go to the well again, with Hunter Paisami expected to be ruled out of their second Rugby Championship Test against Michael Cheika’s Los Pumas in San Juan.
It’s understood the center, who laid on the Wallabies’ bonus point win with a sublime run and offload in the final play of the game, has suffered a head knock.
His injury will see yet another backline reshuffle, with Lalakai Foketi expected to be named in the No.12 jersey. Irae Simone, who was a late call-up to the squad and will head to Clermont following the two-Test tour of Argentina, is firming for a remarkable return via the bench.
Foketi won’t be the only change either.
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The change at inside center could see the Wallabies opt for the experienced head of James O’Connor to fill the No.10 jersey following Quade Cooper’s devastating season ending injury.
Should Dave Rennie indeed turn to O’Connor, the Test shapes as a crunch one for the 32-year-old, who lost some backers following his poor second half against England in Brisbane last month. Never mind that he was under done and playing away from his preferred position and the lack of time in the saddle showed.
Part of the thinking could be that in Bledisloe III, 2020, Rennie was forced to select the uncapped duo of Noah Lolesio and Simone at 10 and 12 and their inexperience showed as the All Blacks smashed the Wallabies at the Olympic Stadium. Rolling out Lolesio, who is still growing as a player at 22, and Foketi, who will play his second Test, could leave them short of experience and leadership in the backline.
Wallabies bag late, late bonus point try | 00:43
Utility Reece Hodge, who stepped into the hot seat at No.10 early in the second half and was assured and kicked his goals, all but confirmed he wouldn’t start when he indicated on Wednesday that either O’Connor or Lolesio would start in the role.
“Rabs (O’Connor) has got his body in really good shape and he’s been training well the last month and really pushing for selection,” Hodge said.
“Whether it’s him or Noah who get the nod heading into this weekend, we’re confident that both of them are in great physical shape and both training really well, so whoever steers us around will have the full confidence of the squad.”
Meanwhile, Allan Alaalatoa’s (personal reasons) return to Australia has opened the door for Pone Fa’amausili to make his debut off the bench.
The Rebels tight-head prop has long been knocking on the door and been a part of the Wallabies’ squad since 2020.
But stuck behind Alaalatoa and Taniela Tupou, who will start against Los Pumas, and plagued by injuries, the giant wrecking-ball, who was compared to the ‘Tongan Thor’ before the series by Rennie, he has been forced to bide his time and get himself into physical shape.
The potential of Fa’amausili is immense, but the weekend’s Test will be his moment of truth.
Elsewhere, Rennie could yet be swayed to return to Rory Arnold – one of Rennie’s international picks – and having been eased back into the squad following a minor injury, he could yet start.
The Test shapes as a significant one for the Wallabies.
Hunter Paisami is expected to be ruled out of their second Rugby Championship Test.Source: Getty Images
If they pull off back to back wins it will leave them in great shape to give The Rugby Championship a real shake.
The rejigged format of the competition, which includes tours for the first time, will see the Wallabies have the luxury of playing three of the next four Tests on home soil, including consecutive matches against the world champion Springboks.
For the first time in years too, the All Blacks are vulnerable and down on confidence having lost three straight Tests. A fourth consecutive loss to the Springboks could force a coaching change, with Ian Foster on the chopping block.
Cheika’s Pumas will be out for revenge, however, noting their second half disaster, where they were penalized out of the game and smashed at the rolling maul, killed them.
With an inexperienced, lighter front-row to come off the bench for the Wallabies though, the Pumas have the chance to go after their opposition.
When Michael Hooper withdrew less than 48 hours before the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship opener in Argentina, it shocked the world.
An outpouring of support was issued across the globe from Will Carling to Karmichael Hunt, as it was revealed that Hooper’s “mindset” was not right and he would miss the Test and fly home.
Yet for those closer to the situation, it was not as surprising.
RECAP: Wallabies’ stunning, bonus-point victory as Quade ruled out for the year
Wallabies bag late, late bonus point try | 00:43
Hooper has been pushed to the point of breaking for some time, with few others afforded time in the saddle in his position despite the emergence of talented players like Fraser McReight.
Instead, with precious victories and coaching living by results, the Wallabies – and Super Rugby franchises, perhaps with the exception of the Brumbies and recently the Waratahs – have rolled out their premier players for fear of failure.
A talismanic leader, Hooper had not only been holding the Wallabies together on and off the field for years, he had been putting his head in few places dare go.
The second youngest Wallabies captain of all time, Hooper was the youngest player of all time to play 100 Tests.
Last year, he surpassed George Gregan’s (59) record of Tests captained last year, and he is just 18 shy of the 1999 World Cup-winner’s national record of 139.
Michael Hooper withdrew less than 48 hours before the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship opener. (Photo by May Bailey/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
All this at the tender age of 30, where he has been handed the captaincy by the past three Wallabies coaches after first being capped by another, Robbie Deans, in 2012.
At some point, age, or at least the sheer minutes he had spent on the playing field, he was going to catch up with him.
Of Hooper’s 121 Tests, he has started in 115 of them and gone the full distance in 95 of those Tests. He has missed just 11 Tests, including the weekend’s 41-26 victory over Michael Cheika’s Argentina, since his debut against Scotland off the bench in Newcastle.
By comparison, Richie McCaw, who started in 141 of his 148 Tests, missed 37 Tests during his decorated career.
Interestingly, in the four years before he retired following the World Cup final in 2015, McCaw started 44 of 45 Tests during the period but only played the full 80 minutes in 33 of those Tests.
But, as age, his durability and the weight of captaining the All Blacks for so many years caught up to him, he missed nine Tests during that golden period.
New Zealand Rugby also afforded him a sabbatical in late 2012 and saw him make his comeback in mid-2013. He didn’t play, but rather cooled his heels.
In May, Hooper laughed off suggestions he could make it through to the home World Cup in 2027 by saying he was more likely to be having a “beer” in the stands at that point.
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But it’s not just the home World Cup that feels like an eternity away for Hooper, it’s the 2025 British and Irish Lions series and, indeed, next year’s World Cup too.
It’s believed after years bouncing back up on a Sunday, the heavy knocks are starting to take their toll.
Recently, Hooper played in Brisbane against England despite being struck down by the flu during the week.
When he copped an early hit after being bounced by Ellis Genge, there was an element of concern around whether he had taken another head knock.
A week later, with the Wallabies’ injury toll stretching to double figures, he backed up for the series decider despite having a crook back.
Earlier in the year, Hooper copped a high tackle from a replacement Crusaders forward, which drew a red card, and he spent two weeks on the sidelines.
Privately the Waratahs and Australian officials were filthy because the culprit, Hamish Dalzell, had also been penalized for a high shot moments earlier that didn’t earn any further punishment.
Concussion is something Hooper is particularly cognizant of.
It’s also understood the Wallabies are being belted on the training field.
It is unclear when Hooper will next play. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Numerous sources, including at Rugby Australia, have also raised questions about the strength and conditioning methods being used under Dean Benton.
Questions have arisen after a number of players have suffered injuries at training in recent months.
There is a belief that the current group needs to be whipped into shape because they are not up to Test match standards.
For now Hooper, who arrived back in Australia on Sunday, is expected to rest and spend time with his family.
No timeframe has been given when the No.7 will next play.
Sources believe he will miss the home Tests against the Springboks.
Fortunately the Wallabies have discovered they can play without Hooper and succeed.
But they might have learned too that humans are not machines.
Roosters star Luke Keary has opened up on his concussion battles, how he’s dealt with the setbacks and why it can be one of the more frustrating injuries.
He has also revealed that teammate Lindsay Collins will take a break from the game after suffering a head knock against Manly — his second in as many weeks.
Keary suffered a head knock in the Roosters’ Round 14 loss to the Storm and was sidelined for four weeks before starring in his return game against the Knights.
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The 30-year-old has a well-documented history with concussion. He suffered four in the space of 14 months between January 2018 and May 2019 — with the last one during that period forcing him into an extended break from the game.
When he suffered his latest knock, many in the game feared for his long-term future. But Keary had the advice of those who know best to guide him through a tricky period.
Speaking for the first time since that head knock, Keary told the Fox League Podcast that he was “a little bit nervous” to return in Round 19.
But shared that “compartmentalizing” and listening to medical advice is what helped him get back onto the field.
“I think the way you deal with it initially and the big one is the medical advice you get. I found the top neurologist in the country giving you advice — they’re the ones you should listen to,” he said.
“There’s a lot of people who are going to have an opinion about it, which is fair enough, but if you can just listen to them (neurologist), they’re not going to put you at risk. They’re not going to let you get back out there if they think there’s a risk to your long-term future.
“If you can kind of compartmentalize everything and take the right people’s advice it makes you a little less nervous to come back.
“But it’s always a tough one to come back from… you don’t want to get them as a player and you don’t want to see other players get them.”
O’Brien’s time at Knights running out? | 02:43
Keary also gave a rare insight into what the recovery period actually looks like for players — and why it’s different for everyone.
“I’ve had ones where I’ve had symptoms and with those you can’t do anything, you’ve just got to rest and wait for the symptoms to go, the NRL has a return to play policy which you follow and it’s a pretty safe way to get back into contact and games,” he said.
“Then there’s others… In 2019 I had a few in a row and I had a forced six-week lay-off. I was actually fine, I didn’t have any symptoms, but the doctors thought it was the best thing to have a month off.
“I was fine the whole time, I had a couple of weeks off then I trained with the boys for three or four weeks. I think they’re all different depending on symptoms.”
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It’s those types of concussions where there’s no symptoms that Keary admitted are “definitely” frustrating because his body may have felt fine but he had to put his long-term health first.
“Obviously with other injuries you just know straight away, whatever it is there’s sort of a set time limit. Head (injuries) are very different,” he said.
“Every single player is different. Some players take an hour to recover, some take weeks, some take months.
“The neurologist will tell you too, I think it’s the brain patterns don’t go back to normal for a few weeks so I think in society and even in medical they admit don’t have all the information they need at the moment.
“But I’m pretty experienced with them so I can tell you they’re very cautious and they don’t take footy into consideration — they take into consideration your health.
“As a game we’re doing as good a job as we can to protect the players and put in the best measures and protocols we know at the moment which are going to help.
“It’s never going to be perfect because as I said even the top docs will admit they just don’t have enough information yet.”
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Between Keary’s history and the early retirements of Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend last season, the Roosters are well-equipped for concussion challenges.
They’ll take their time with Collins, who suffered a head knock in Origin III and then another against Manly last Thursday.
Keary revealed Collins, who is “in good spirits,” will take a break but is hopeful of returning before the end of the season.
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“It was real unfortunate,” Keary said of Collins’ concussion.
“Obviously the Origin one and then first game back, that wasn’t a pretty sight. But he was in really good spirits.
“It’s funny, everyone’s different and some knocks you’re rattled by, they make you sick and then others you’re fine five minutes late.
“Linds was in real good spirits after the game, he’s been at training every day — he wanted to train with us yesterday but the doctors wouldn’t let him.
“He’s obviously going to have some time off, get himself right, make sure his head and neck are right, make sure everything is OK, go see some independent doctors and take the time he needs to come back, make sure he’s healthy and strong and to make sure he’s OK to play.
“Hopefully we get him back before the end of the season, but if not, we all just want Linds to get healthy again.”
Carlton’s loss to Adelaide has been compounded by a string of injuries.
Plus the latest on a star Richmond duo.
Get the latest AFL injury news in our Round 20 Casualty Ward!
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CARLTON has suffered some significant injury blows after the loss to Adelaide.
corey durdin is set to miss a week with a shoulder injury he suffered during the game, while George Hewett’s back issue will see him miss a second straight game, which this one being a crunch clash against Brisbane at the Gabba.
Nick Newman is set to miss the rest of the regular season after sustaining a shocking cut to his knee.
Newman was injured by his opponent’s footy boots which dragged across his leg as he attempted to lay a tackle.
late in the contest matt kennedy was assisted from the field after a head knock, with scans revealing he suffered a fractured jaw, which will see him sidelined for at least a fortnight.
Crows surprise Blues at Adelaide Oval | 01:31
RICHMOND admits it is “doubtful” star defender Dylan Grimes will play again in the home-and-away season after his latest hamstring injury.
Grimes suffered the injury in the second half of Sunday’s thrilling win over Brisbane, adding to a streak of soft tissue injuries for the 31-year-old.
Tigers fitness boss Peter Burge said on Tuesday that Grimes’ injury required “further investigation”.
“At this stage it’s probably looking doubtful that he’s going to play in the last three home and away games of the season.
“So, we’re going to need to have a look at what lies beyond that. We’ll gather some information over the next couple of days and we’ll give everyone an update.“
Meanwhile, Dustin Martin remains in a “holding pattern” with his hamstring injury.
The club says it’s “hopeful” a round 23 return is still on the cards, but admits, “if we’re not able to progress significantly in the next week or so, that starts to become a little less clear.”
The Lions Also Lost Zack Bailey in the first half of Sunday’s contest, with the mid-forward taken to hospital with a chest issue after a collision with Richmond’s Marlion Pickett.
Remarkably, despite Bailey spending Sunday night in hospital as his teammates returned home without him, the Lions are yet to rule him out of Round 21.
Scans cleared the 22-year-old of any serious injury and he was able to be discharged.
“Bailey spent the night in hospital in Melbourne after receiving a knock to his sternum in Sunday’s match with Richmond at the MCG,” the Lions said in a statement.
“Bailey was released from hospital on Monday and cleared to fly home to Brisbane.
“He will be further assessed to determine his availability for Sunday’s match against Carlton at the Gabba.”
COLLINGWOOD will be without star taylor adams for the remainder of the home and away season after he limped off in the win over Port Adelaide.
Coach Craig McRae confirmed Adams’ suffered a groin injury.
After scans, the club released a statement confirming the extent of the injury layoff.
“Collingwood vice-captain Taylor Adams will miss the remainder of the AFL home and away season after scans revealed a strain to his groin,” the statement read.
“The 28-year-old will be assessed further in the coming weeks.”
But there is good news for defending Jeremy Howeafter he suffered a heavy knock.
“Howey just got a knee in the backside and unfortunately just couldn’t function,” McRae said.
“He’ll be fine but he just couldn’t get back on the ground.”
Howe was able to complete a pool recovery session with teammates on Monday.
“He is expected to complete limited training on Tuesday before being assessed on Thursday,” the club said.
Brodie Grundy is no certainty to receive an AFL call up for Round 21, while Brody Mihocek is in a race to provide his fitness after missing Round 20 with a hip injury.
Grundy made his return in the VFL last weekend after 13 weeks on the sidelines with a PCL injury.
“Grundy played into the fourth term and collected the typical bumps and bruises sustained during a first game back,” the club said.
“He will also be assessed on Thursday.”
GEELONG are set to be without Gary Rohan for the clash with St Kilda after he was subbed out with a head knock.
Coach Chris Scott was unsure if Rohan was officially concussed, but said he was told Rohan “couldn’t go back on”.
“He said to me he’s perfectly fine, so that’s a good sign,” Scott said post-match.
“You never know how these guys are going to pull up.
“You know when it’s bad… but this isn’t one of those if appearances are anything to go by.”
Feet pip Port to the points at the MCG | 02:20
HAWTHORN coach Sam Mitchell is counting the cost of the loss to St Kilda.
The Hawks gallantly fought back in the final term, despite being down to three on the bench.
mitch lewis injured his knee early in the contest but tried to run it out, Josh Morris suffered a shoulder injury while Jacob Koschitzke suffered a cork.
“We lost three today,” Mitchell said.
“Tank Morris, he was going really well. I was sad for him – he finally got his chance. He’s put together a really good month of footy.
“He popped his shoulder, it came back in but obviously wasn’t going to come back on the field.”
Mitchell said the club wasn’t going to risk Lewis even though he tried to play on with his knee injury.
“Mitch Lewis has had a little bit of a sore knee for a while and just landed on it awkwardly,” he explained.
“It wasn’t OK to keep going.
“It’s one of those injuries where there’s a small amount of risk to it… the game was put away so we weren’t going to risk an important player like him.”
Mitchell praised Koschitzke’s ability to play on despite being clearly hampered by injury.
Saints survive fast-finishing Hawks | 01:00
“Kossie really worked hard. He has got a really nasty corky – he could hardly walk even to half time but we were already three on the bench so we needed him to soldier on,” he said.
“I have committed to that and gave us what I could. He couldn’t run or lead very much but he gave us a reply.
“Sometimes as a young player having to fight through when your body is nowhere near its best is an important lesson to learn.”
MELBOURNE coach Simon Goodwin says young ruckman Luke Jackson will be right to go against Collingwood after passing his concussion test in Perth.
Jackson came from the ground in the win over Fremantle appearing to be dazed but was given the all clear.
“He just had a little knock late in the game. He was checked by the docs and got the all clear,” Goodwin said.
“There’s nothing wrong with him, he’ll be fine. He’ll be ready to go next week.
“He got checked and passed his test.”
Goodwin also said Christian Salem would be able to back up after a blow to his face left him bleeding from the nose.
“Salem had a bit of a cut to his face, but we’ve come through unscathed,” Goodwin said.
james hames (concussion) and ben brown (knee soreness) will both need to provide their fitness to face the Pies on Friday night.
“Brown, following two weeks on the sidelines due to knee soreness, has ramped up his training program this past week and will also look to be available for selection,” the club said.
Joel Smith played his first VFL minutes since suffering a serious ankle injury back in Round 7.
the WESTERN BULLDOGS are sweating on star Adam Treloar‘s fitness ahead of this weekend’s must-win game against Fremantle.
Treloar has been battling a calf complaint and finished his past two matches early.
“Adam suffered some calf tightness in the game against Melbourne,” Dogs head of sports medicine Chris Bell said.
“He still wasn’t 100% during his fitness test last Thursday, so was unavailable for selection.
“We will again assess Adam as this week progresses and make a call on his availability towards the back end of the week.”
Anthony Scott (concussion) and hayden crozier (ankle) remain in the hunt for selection.
Scott was now “symptom-free” after being convicted in the clash with Sydney in Round 17, while Crozier has made steady progress since his ankle injury suffered in the VFL a month ago.
“We couldn’t be happier with how he has progressed over the last two weeks since coming out of the CAM boot,” Bell said.
“He will start to integrate back into training this week and we will determine if he returns to playing this weekend or next.”
Jarrod Brander‘s first season with GWS is over after the utility injured his hamstring playing the VFL.
Jacob Wehr is also unavailable for selection this weekend through injury.
Wehr suffered a calf strain against the Swans, ending his run of 10 straight game since debuting in Round 10.
Matt Flynn (ankle) and Conor Stone (hamstring) will have to provide themselves fit to face Essendon on Saturday.
In some good news for the club, Bobby Hill has been medically cleared to return after undergoing surgery for testicular cancer.
Hill hasn’t played since his shock diagnosis back in May.
PORT ADELAIDE are confident Travis Boak may back up against Richmond, despite fracturing his hand in the loss to Collingwood.
The 34-year-old was able to play out the match, after suffering the injury in the second term.
“He will be monitored throughout the week with an expectation that he will be able to take on the Tigers,” the club said in a statement.
Darcy Byrne-Jones will need to pass a fitness test after spraining his ankle early in the clash with the Pies.
The club expects Riley Bonner to be available for selection after he clears the AFL’s Health and Safety protocols, while dan houston could come into the mix after serving his 12-day concussion break.
FREMANTLE will be without skipper Nat Fyfe until at least Round 23 as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Fyfe hasn’t played since the Round 19 draw with the Tigers and remains no guarantee to play before finals.
“We’ve got a target of round 23 for Nat, obviously there’s a bit of work to do before we get there but that’s our target,” Dockers footy boss Peter Bell said.
Sam Switkowski is another Docker pushing to return before finals, as he recovers from a serious back injury.
“Sam’s a really important player for us, so if he is to come back it will be really positive,” Bell said.
The club it was still to put a line through Jye Amiss despite the rookie’s kidney injury landing him in hospital.
“Jye is going pretty well, we’ll be in constant dialogue with the specialist,” Bell said.
“Every day he’s getting better, it’s great to have him back out there. We haven’t put a line through him for the season, that’s for sure, so he’s training well.”
The Panthers have turned to Sean O’Sullivan and Jaeman Salmon in the halves as the defending premiers try to navigate the rest of the regular season without stars Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai.
Cleary will miss the rest of the regular season after he was sent off and banned for five matches for an ugly spear tackle on Parramatta’s Dylan Brown, while Luai continues to recover from a knee injury.
O’Sullivan has shown he can fill in for the rep stars when required, but it’s a huge call bringing in Salmon, given he hasn’t started a game at five-eighth since 2019 when he played seven games for the Eels in the No .6 jumper.
Coach Ivan Cleary could yet spring a late change with rookie Kurt Falls named in the reserves for Saturday’s trip to take on the resurgent Raiders.
In a boost for the Panthers, center Stephen Crichton returns from his sickening head clash with Cronulla’s Dale Finucane which required emergency plastic surgery to repair an ear.
Canberra winger Jordan Rapana is back from suspension and replaces Albert Hopoate on the right wing as the Raiders try to keep their top-eight hopes alive.
The Broncos have named Kobe Hetherington at lock in place of the suspended Patrick Carrigan for Thursday’s blockbuster against the Roosters.
Brisbane’s hopes of returning to the top four have been helped with winger Selwyn Cobbo back for his first game since he was knocked out early in the State of Origin decider.
Lindsay Collins was also knocked out in that game and he’ll miss Thursday’s match after he suffered another head knock against the Sea Eagles last week. Teammate Egan Butcher is also missing through suspension, which means Matt Lodge will start.
The Storm welcome back Brandon Smith after his three-game ban for verbally abusing referee Adam Gee. He’ll start from the bench while mid-season recruit David Nofoaluma starts on the wing to bolster their weakened backline.
That backline has taken more damage with Nick Meaney (shoulder) and Justin Olam (Covid) both sidelined for Friday’s match against the Titans, but there is a chance rep winger Xavier Coates returns for his first game since the State of Origin opener when he hurt his ankle.
Toby Sexton has been “rested” which means AJ Brimson moves to the halves with Jayden Campbell set to start at fullback against the team he made his NRL debut against last year.
Six members of the “Sea Eagles seven” have been included in this week’s squad, but Josh Aloiai will miss Friday’s crucial clash with Parramatta because of injury.
Josh Schuster has been named in the No.18 jersey.
The Eels have called on Jake Arthur to replace the injured Mitch Moses for the rest of the regular season as he nurses a broken finger. It’ll be the young half’s first game since he was booed by some Parramatta fans in Round 19.
There will be a very special debut at Shark Park on Saturday night with Kade Dykes set to make his NRL debut at fullback.
The 20-year-old will become a third-generation Shark after his dad Adam and grandfather John both represented the club.
Dykes comes in for Will Kennedy, who will miss the rest of the regular season with a serious ankle injury.
Dragons coach Anthony Griffin has stuck with the same 17 who scored just one try against North Queensland last week, which has their final hopes on life support.
The Cowboys have suffered a setback with try-scoring machine Kyle Feldt ruled out for two weeks with a hamstring injury. His place has been taken by speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
Meanwhile, Newcastle prop David Klemmer has been stood down by the club for an on-field incident during the Knights’ clash with the Bulldogs. He is ineligible to play until he responds to the club-imposed sanction.
The Tigers will be without Jackson Hastings for the rest of the season after he suffered an ugly leg break against the Broncos.
Hastings had his leg caught under him in an ugly tackle that saw Broncos forward Patrick Carrigan placed on report for a hip drop tackle.
Scans confirmed a broken leg for Hastings who will undergo surgery that rules him out for an extended period.
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Meanwhile, the Eels have copped a massive blow in their hunt for the top four with star halfback Mitchell Moses reportedly suffering a broken finger.
Brent Read told Triple M that Moses will be ruled out for at least a month after suffering in the injury in last night’s win over the Panthers. Moses appeared to injure his finger at him in the 31st minute, and had it strapped by a physio shortly afterwards, but managed to finish the match.
Moses will reportedly undergo surgery and could miss the remainder of the regular season.
COWBOYS LOSE FLYER TO HAMSTRING INJURY
The Cowboys will be sweating on a hamstring injury to winger Kyle Feldt after he limped off in their 34-8 win over the Dragons.
STORM FULLBACK CRISIS WORSENS
Meanwhile, the Storm’s outside back injury crisis has worsened with replacement fullback Nick Meaney going off against the Warriors with a shoulder injury.
Meaney fell on the point of his shoulder from a great height after he was taken out in the air by Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
“He fell awkwardly and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has quite a significant AC joint injury the way that shoulder came down right on the point,” Warren Smith said on Fox League.
“Melbourne in all sorts of problems here. They were chasing Reece Walsh to be a fullback.
“Tyran Wishart will come on and play fullback now after they already lost Ryan Papenhuyzen for the season.”
Nick Meaney suffered a shoulder injury.Source: FOX SPORTS
Coach Craig Bellamy was hopeful after the game that it wasn’t a serious injury and revealed there are some positive signs.
“He’s done something to his right shoulder but I don’t think we’re quite sure of what he’s done,” he said.
“It looked pretty dire when he came off, he obviously had the sling on. But it’s looking a bit better at the moment, they don’t think it’s quite as bad as what they thought it was at the start.”
In the same game, Warriors five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita succumbed to a leg injury in the first half and left the field.
“We’re thinking it’s an MCL… he’ll have scans to see the extent of the injury. But our medical officer said it’s an MCL injury,” interim coach Stacey Jones said after the game.
Brain fade gives Niche a golden moment | 00:51
ROOSTERS STAR SUFFERS UGLY CONCUSSION
Roosters prop Lindsay Collins has suffered a nasty head knock, colliding with the head of Morgan Boyle.
Collins bounced out of the tackle, knocking himself unconscious before leaving the field with the assistance of the club doctor and trainer.
The 26-year-old was one of three players who left the field in the first four minutes of the Origin decider and was playing his first game since the blow, spending two weeks sidelined due to ongoing concussion symptoms.
“I fear for Lindsay here, he went straight down… he has copped both head and shoulder, that is incredibly heavy on Lindsay Collins,” Andrew Voss said.
“You could see the contact,” Greg Alexander said.
“That is worrying for a player that is only returning this round because of concussion.”
Fox League’s James Hooper confirmed Collins would not return to the field in Round 20.
“Category 1 concussion, his night is over,” Fox League’s James Hooper said.
PANTHERS’ INJURY UPDATE
The Panthers have copped a significant blow with star five-eighth Jarome Luai expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks.
The club confirmed the timeline on Thursday and revealed that Luai had suffered a high grade MCL injury.
Penrith also revealed that Mitch Kenny (knee) and Stephen Crichton (ear/concussion) could return next week.
“I can do it all!” Foxx delivers try | 00:39
TIGERS’ BIG BLOW
Luke Brooks will miss Round 20 and likely the rest of the season after suffering a calf injury at training.
The Wests Tigers confirmed on Thursday that Brooks will be out for five to six weeks with Jock Madden the man expected to replace him in the halves.
The Tigers also revealed Luke Garner is a good chance of returning from a neck injury in Round 21, Stefano Utoikamanu has commended a running program after undergoing wrist surgery and Tommy Talau will return to full team training over the next month.
Read on for the full NRL casualty ward.
ROUND 20 INJURIES
Lindsay Collins (head knock) – TBC
Nick Meaney (shoulder) – TBC
Chanel Harris-Tavita (knee) – TBC
Mitchell Moses (finger) – Finals
Adam Elliott (hip) – TBC
Jackson Hastings (leg) – season
Kyle Feldt (hamstring) – TBC
FULL CASUALTY WARD
BRONCOS
Selwyn Cobbo (concussion) – Round 21
Albert Kelly (foot) – Round 21
TC Robati (arm) – Round 21
Te Maire Martin (ribs) – indefinite
Herbie Farnworth (biceps) – indefinite
Jordan Pereira (illness) – indefinite
raiders
Adam Elliott (hip) – TBC
James Schiller (ankle) – Round 21
Jordan Rapana (suspended) – Round 21
Semi Valemei (knee) – Round 21
Harry Rushton (jaw) – Round 25
Trey Mooney (ankle) – indefinite
Jarrod Croker (shoulder) – season
Josh Hodgson (knee) – season
Harley Smith-Shields (knee) – season
BULLDOGS
Paul Alamoti (cheekbone) – Round 21
Corey Allan (groin) – Round 22
Ava Seumanufagai (calf) – Round 22
Corey Waddell (suspension) – Round 25
Luke Thompson (concussion) – indefinite
Jack Hetherington (shoulder) – season
Billy Tsikrikas (knee) – season
Raymond Faitala-Mariner (ribs) – Round 21
Braith perplexed by Finucane ban | 05:15
SHARKS
Dale Finucane (suspension) – Round 22
Royce Hunt (shoulder) – indefinite
Jack Williams (shoulder) – season
Sione Katoa (pectoral) – season
TITANS
Joe Vuna (knee) – indefinite
Shallin Fuller (leg) – season
BE EAGLES
Sean Keppie (shoulder) – Round 21
Ben Trbojevic (head knock) – TBC
Tom Trbojevic (shoulder) – finals/World Cup
Karl Lawton (knee) – season
Morgan Boyle (ankle) – indefinite
STORM
Nick Meaney (shoulder) – TBC
Jack Howarth (shoulder) – Round 21
Will Warbrick (quad) – Round 21
Tepai Moeroa (shoulder) – Round 21
Brandon Smith (suspended) – Round 21
Xavier Coates (ankle) – Round 22
Trent Loiero (back) – indefinite
Ryan Papenhuyzen (knee) – season
Reimis Smith (pectoral) – season
Christian Welch (Achilles) – season
George Jennings (knee) – season
KNIGHTS
Kalyn Ponga (concussion) – indefinite
Kurt Mann (quad) – Round 21
Bradman Best (thumb) – Round 22
Lachlan Fitzgibbon (shoulder) – indefinite
Chris Vea’ila (leg) – indefinite
Bailey Hodgson (elbow) – season
Dylan Lucas (pectoral) – season
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COWBOYS
Kyle Feldt (hamstring) – TBC
Jordan McLean (hamstring) – Round 24
Mitch Dunn (knee) – season
Heilum Luki (knee) – season
EELS
Haze Dunster (knee) – season
Ray Stone (knee) – season
Mitch Moses (finger) – Finals
PANTHERS
Eddie Blacker (hamstring) – Round 21
Mitch Kenny (knee) – Round 21-22
Stephen Crichton (ear/concussion) – Round 21
Kurt Falls (leg) – Round 21
Mavrik Geyer (thumb) – Round 21
Jarome Luai (knee) – Round 25-finals
Nathan Cleary (suspension) – Finals
‘Personally it wouldn’t be an issue’ | 01:59
RABBITOHS
Peter Mamouzelos (wrist) – Round 24
Hame Sele (hamstring) – Round 25
Michael Chee Kam (thumb) – Round 25
Campbell Graham (cheekbone) – indefinite
Liam Knight (knee) – season
Jacob Host (shoulder) – season
Jed Cartwright (hamstring) – TBC
Taane Milne (hand) – Round 21
dragons
Cody Ramsey (knee) – Round 22
Jayden Sullivan (shoulder) – Round 23
Mikaele Ravalawa (hamstring) – Finals
Moses Suli (ankle) – Finals
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