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NRL Physio Injury Updates: Round 8

NRL Physio

Our resident rugby league injury expert, the NRL Physio has written a wrap-up of the injuries and recoveries after Round 8.

 

Nathan Brown

The Eels workhorse is aiming for a return this week for the Eels after suffering an ankle sprain a few weeks ago. Unfortunately he is still struggling to get the swelling down in his ankle so there is a possibility he is still another week away.

 

Andrew McCullough

The Broncos hooker trained yesterday and is pushing to return this week. He has only missed one week after suffering a ligament and tendon injury to his elbow, which was expected to sideline him for 4-6 weeks. I would say chances of him playing this week are questionable, but a return next week looking all but certain.

 

Josh McGuire

Mixed news for Josh McGuire – no damage to previously repaired Achilles tendon, but there is a tear in the “anterior ligament” (another way of saying high ankle sprain). Luckily surgery is not required for McGuire; he will be aiming for a 4-6 week return to play. Unfortunately this means Origin 1 will be touch and go for him.

 

Issac Luke

Issac Luke is expected to miss 3-4 weeks with a knee injury, no clarification on injury specifics as yet but is likely a minor cartilage injury.

 

Suliasi Vunivalu

The Fijian flyer was ruled out for the Storm last week with a low grade hamstring injury. With the long turnaround Storm are hoping he will be fit to return in Round 9, but they will take a conservative approach to his return with hamstring strains having a high re-injury rate if not 100%.

 

Richie Kennar

In some good news it appears Kennar’s scans came back better than expected, and he is only expected to miss 1-2 weeks. A relief for him and the Rabbitohs after initial reports were a Lisfranc injury and 12+ weeks on the sideline.

 

Josh Mansour

More positive injury news as Mansour didn’t require a bone graft and is hoping to return in 10-12 weeks after suffering multiple facial fractures. The bone graft was seen as a last resort and luckily it wasn’t required. Surgery was still significant, so good luck to Mansour with recovery.

 

Curtis Scott

Curtis Scott’s high ankle sprain is not as bad as first feared and if he pulls up well tomorrow will be named and given every chance to play this weekend but he is much more likely to return next weekend in Round 10.

 

Josh Dugan

Dugan suffered a broken bone in his foot, with a 4-6 week recovery. Foot fractures can be tricky to rehab, as there are a few bones in the foot with poor healing rates (poor blood supply). Signs are positive though for Dugan with the recovery estimate from the club.

 

Dylan Edwards

The Panthers fullback dislocated his shoulder and whilst it was relocated quickly he unfortunately suffered a labral (cartilage) tear and damage to the humeral head (ball of the ball & socket shoulder joint). He is meeting with a specialist this week to discuss treatment options. Edwards’ likely treatment options are:

  • If the damage/instability is too severe and risk of further injury is too high then he will need surgery and 4-6 months recovery
  • If they specialist is happy and the location/severity of damage will enable shoulder to be stable then he will require no surgery, but strengthening rehab for 4-6 weeks

Even though the damage sustained to Edwards shoulder joint appears significant, we have seen sometimes that surgery can be put off until the off-season (e.g. Corey Harawira-Naera last season). Each case is different and needs to be treated on an individual basis.

 

Jarryd Hayne

The Eels star is expected to miss another three weeks with a hip flexor strain suffered in his return game from a similar hip flexor injury. Word from the club is this injury is to a different hip flexor muscle than last time.

 

Jesse Bromwich

Confirmation of a grade 2 MCL sprain for Jesse Bromwich which means he is expected to miss four weeks of footy. Most grade 2 MCL injuries return to play in the 3-6 week range. This would have him back for the Storm around Round 11-12.

 

Tim Glasby

Fellow Storm prop Glasby had surgery on a broken thumb last week (similar to Dale Finucane) and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

 

Luke Lewis

The Sharks veteran is expected to miss another three weeks with a calf strain. It is likely a grade 2 strain with that recovery timeframe.

 

Mitch Pearce and John Asiata

Unfortunately, Mitchell Pearce and John Asiata suffered pectoral ruptures in Rd 7. Both had surgery last week, and luckily avoided any damage to their shoulder joints. Despite initial reports of a 16 week return to play, I would expect a recovery in the 10-14 week range.

 

Nathan Cleary

The young Panthers half started running on the anti-gravity treadmill two weeks ago and hoped to resume field running late last week. He is still aiming for a 7-8 week return to play from his grade 3 MCL injury which will likely be around Round 10 or 11.

 

Josh Hodgson

The Englishman’s rehab from an ACL reconstruction is progressing well. He is still aiming for a return around Round 16-18, which would be just over seven months since the initial injury.

 

Tony Williams

Unfortunately it has also been confirmed Tony Williams suffered a right ACL rupture last round, which is his second within 12 months after rupturing his left ACL playing for Tonga last year. This will likely require surgery and approximately nine months recovery period.

 

Jack Gosiewski

The young Sea Eagle suffered a suspected broken hand tonight according to Sea Eagles coach Trent Barrett. Most require 4-6 weeks recovery.

 

Lachlan Croker

Horrible to see Lachlan Croker suffer an ACL rupture, which will require surgery and 6-9 months recovery. Really tough to see his 3rd ACL injury. An ACL rupture occurs when the tibia (shin bone) shifts forward/rotates on femur (thigh bone) causing ACL to rupture. Can unfortunately see this happen in Lachlan Croker’s knee. Test by trainer examines amount of forward movement the tibia has (if significant/knee is “loose”, ACL likely ruptured). I wish him the very best for surgery and recovery

 

Leivaha Pulu

Pulu will be our for 12 weeks after suffering an foot injury for the Warriors two weeks ago. No word on injury specifics yet but it should see him returning around Round 20.

 

Tim Browne

Very sad to see that Tim Browne has retired after suffering a ruptured bowel earlier this season, an injury more commonly found in rodeo riders. That to go along with a fractured skull and an infection which almost caused him to lose his leg in the past few seasons. I wish him the very best in retirement.

 

If you have Foxtel, check out Andrew Voss’s show “The Fan” Tuesday’s at 7.30pm. I will be making an appearance every couple of weeks to talk through some common injuries that occur in the NRL.

As always if you have any questions, throw a comment down below or hit me up on Twitter @nrlphysio or Facebook.

 

The opinions given by the author of this article are given by a qualified physiotherapist, HOWEVER they are based on the information available to the author at the time of publication; are general; and are not based on any formal physical assessment and/or diagnosis by the author. If you believe you may be suffering from an injury similar to one commented on by the author, do not rely on the author’s advice as it may not apply to you – see a qualified physiotherapist for a full assessment, diagnosis and treatment plan.

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NRL Physio

The "NRL Physio" is a qualified and practicing physiotherapist. He tweets from @NRLPhysio and writes for us about injuries to NRL players and their recovery times.

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NRL Physio

The "NRL Physio" is a qualified and practicing physiotherapist. He tweets from @NRLPhysio and writes for us about injuries to NRL players and their recovery times.