NRL Casualty Ward: Long-term blow confirmed for SJ
Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson will miss at least the next month of the season due to a recurring Achilles tendon injury which flared up during the Round 16 loss to the Titans. The 33-year-old played through Achilles issues for much of the first part of the season, often missing large parts of training each week in order to play in games, but coach Andrew Webster said on Tuesday that it’s now reached a point at which the No.7 can’t push through.
“Shaun is going to be out for at least four weeks,” Webster said.
“It’s all around the Achilles. Shaun rehabbed it and felt amazing but he hasn’t come back the way he wanted. You could see he couldn’t do what he needed to do so he’ll be out for four weeks at least.
“We’re going to make sure that when we get good signs that he can train with the team and he’s doing well then we’ll bring him back, but he’s just not physically there [at the moment].
“From day one this season he has tried to train with the team but things just haven’t gone his way. He had a bad ankle injury in pre-season and hardly got in any reps. It’s like every time he looks like getting back something has happened.”
Elsewhere in Round 16 the Bulldogs lost Connor Tracey to a high shot that saw Roosters centre Junior Pauga sent off.
Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo said Tracey is likely to miss next week’s clash with the Sharks.
“He’s not well,” Ciraldo said post-game. “I’m disappointed we’re probably going to lose him for next week.”
He is unavailable for selection in Round 17 and will look to after the Dolphins’ Round 18 bye.
The Sea Eagles face an extended period without prop Taniela Paseka, who will require surgery to stabilise a fractured thumb picked up in Round 15, while Reuben Garrick missed Round 16 under the concussion protocol.
Also at Manly, Jake Arthur suffered a stress fracture in his left foot and underwent successful surgery to stabilise it last week. He will remain in a boot for the coming weeks and is expected to be sidelined for four months.
Panthers winger Jesse McLean played just two minutes of the Under 19 Origin clash at Leichhardt Oval on Thursday before he suffered a head knock when attempting a tackle.
McLean, who has played three NRL games for the Panthers, came across in cover but caught the hip of Maroons winger Tyreece Tait and was taken for a HIA.
A back injury ruled Eels and Maroons forward J’maine Hopgood out of the club’s Round 15 match and saw him overlooked for Origin Two, while teammate Kelma Tuilagi has picked up a thumb injury which contributed to him opting not to contest a dangerous throw charge and therefore receive the maximum five-week ban.
