Sydney Roosters’ NRL premiership hopes have been rocked after affirmation star halfback Sam Walker would require reconstructive surgical procedure on his left knee.
Walker tore his ACL making an attempt to deal with Simi Sasagi 12 minutes into Sunday’s 14-12 loss to Canberra earlier than being assisted from Allianz Stadium.
The 22-year-old is not going to solely miss the finals sequence however be out for the beginning of subsequent season with a return round April-Could his absolute best situation.
At their worst, ACL accidents can rule gamers out for greater than a yr.
With veteran Luke Keary heading to the Tremendous League, the Roosters are set to begin subsequent season with Sandon Smith and Cowboys recruit Chad Townsend as their halves mixture.
Keary and Smith will line up this Friday in opposition to Souths and within the finals sequence whereas Walker begins the lengthy rehab course of.
Sam Walker is carried off the bottom. (Picture by Cameron Spencer/Getty Photos)
Teammates Brandon Smith and Victor Radley additionally suffered painful accidents through the defeat to the Raiders.
A season-ending harm to Walker would compel the third-placed Roosters to defy historical past to win the title. No aspect has received an NRL grand last with out their first-choice halfback.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson was remaining optimistic about his aspect’s premiership aspirations.
“We’ve bought a squad for that cause. You guys don’t get to see them at all times, however you’ve bought to imagine in who’s coming subsequent,” Robinson stated.
“So let’s go, let’s get enthusiastic about transferring on to subsequent week.”
Brandon Smith’s proper leg was crunched in a hip-drop deal with simply earlier than half-time from Elliott Whitehead. The hooker was additionally assisted from the sphere with a medial ligament harm which is able to put him out for no less than a month so there’s a glimmer of hope that he might be again within the latter levels of the finals if the Roosters make it that far.
Radley joined Smith and Walker within the casualty ward with left shoulder harm following a deal with from Joe Tapine and Adam Prepare dinner 10 minutes after half-time.
Fellow ahead Nat Butcher later returned a category-one head harm evaluation. He’ll seemingly miss the match in opposition to South Sydney however is anticipated again for the finals.
Robinson confronts Whitehead over hip drop
Whitehead says Robinson was “out of order” in refusing to simply accept his apology over a deal with that injured Brandon Smith’s knee.
However Robinson felt it was onerous to forgive Whitehead, whom he stated had been laying hip-drop tackles for his “complete profession”.
The Canberra captain went to the sin bin for laying a hip-drop deal with on Smith through the first half of the Raiders’ 14-12 win, which ended with the Roosters hooker on the sidelines.
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Early indications are that the deal with injured the medial cruciate ligament in Smith’s proper knee, which means he’s no certainty to function within the third-placed Roosters’ finals tilt.
“I didn’t imply to do Brandon. I do know he’s give you a foul harm and stuff, and I’m sorry to him for that,” Whitehead stated.
Whitehead approached Robinson to apologise for his deal with after the sport, solely to be rebuffed by the coach, who additionally misplaced Sam Walker (knee) and Victor Radley (shoulder) to harm on Sunday.
“I went over to ask about Brandon and Trent Robinson’s had a go at me,” Whitehead stated.
“I went to apologise, and he’s turned on me, so the best way he’s achieved that I believed that was out of order.”
Robinson was reluctant to deal with the incident in his personal post-match press convention.
However the coach felt Whitehead had a historical past of laying hip-drop tackles all through a profession that started with English Tremendous League aspect Bradford in 2009.
Prior to now two years, although, Whitehead has solely been charged with grade-one offences.
“He got here up and simply needed to ask how Brandon was, and I simply stated it was too many instances. The hip-drop’s been fairly widespread in his sport for a very long time, and I simply stated it’s too many instances. It’s price us a participant,” Robinson stated.
“That was it. He stated it was an accident, and I simply stated ‘Look, you’ve achieved it too many instances’. That was it.”
Robinson stated he didn’t maintain a private grudge in opposition to Whitehead.
“I like Elliott. I’ve watched him since he was in Bradford and Catalans,” the coach stated.
“I wouldn’t often need to discuss to you guys (the media) about it, however he opened it up and it’s been actually widespread in his sport his complete profession.”
Whitehead’s deal with might have ended his NRL profession.
To make the finals, the Eleventh-placed Raiders seemingly must defeat St George Illawarra subsequent weekend and have Newcastle and the Dolphins draw .
Meaning the round-27 sport in opposition to the Dragons would be the membership’s final earlier than the second-rower joins Tremendous League aspect Catalans subsequent season.
If the match evaluate committee palms Whitehead a grade-two or grade-three cost, he’ll face suspension.
Whitehead may enchantment to have his cost reclassified as grade one to pay a superb as an alternative of serving a suspension.
with AAP
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