Key Injuries Impacting the Upcoming Matches
Roosters coach Trent Robinson has confirmed that star winger Mark Nawaqanitawase is set to undergo surgery for a syndesmosis injury, which will keep him out of the State of Origin series opener later this month. The injury occurred during a recent match at Allianz Stadium, where several players were forced off the field due to various issues.
Nawaqanitawase was among those who couldn’t finish the game, with his foot getting trapped under teammate Robert Toia in the first half. Despite his desire to represent the Blues, the former Wallaby may not get the chance as he’s expected to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks. This timeline would rule him out of the May 27 clash.
Blues coach Laurie Daley had included Nawaqanitawase in the mix alongside Campbell Graham and Josh Addo-Carr to partner Brian To’o on the wing. However, the surgery means he won’t be available for the upcoming match.
Additional Player Concerns
The Roosters are not the only team dealing with injuries. Queensland enforcer Lindsay Collins has been ruled out of next Friday’s trip to Gosford after failing a head injury assessment during the first half of the game. Meanwhile, Blues veteran Angus Crichton is undergoing scans for a knee injury that forced him off midway through the second half.
“Gus was a medial. We’re having a look at that to see where he’s at so he’s getting scans now,” Crichton’s coach said. “But I probably could have left him out there, but he needed work multiple times, so that’s medial.”
Collins, on the other hand, was clear about what happened during the game but wasn’t deemed fit to return to the field. “He was pretty good there (in the sheds), he was pretty clear on what happened and everything, but not good enough to go back on,” the coach added.
Broncos’ Injury Woes and Team Resilience
The Broncos are also facing their share of challenges. Tom Duffy will step in for Adam Reynolds when they take on Manly next week, following Reynolds’ head injury sustained during a tackle. Coach Michael Maguire praised Duffy’s performance, stating, “He came in a couple of weeks ago and showed what he’s capable of. I thought he went out there today and steered the team around.”
Maguire also mentioned that injured stars like Payne Haas and Ben Hunt won’t be available next week. Additionally, wingers Josiah Karapani (ankle) and Deine Mariner (cork) are in serious doubt. Mariner had to leave the field in the first half but returned later in the game when Karapani got his foot trapped in a tackle.
“Deine probably shouldn’t have gone back out, but that’s what they’re doing for each other,” Maguire said, expressing pride in how his team fought back from a 30-0 deficit to narrow the gap to six points.
Controversial Incident and Match Review
The Broncos are also awaiting charges from the match review committee after strike centre Kotoni Staggs was sent to the sin bin for an elbow to the back of Hugo Savala’s head following a tackle late in the game. The sin bin proved costly for the Blues, as the Roosters scored eight points in the final eight minutes.
Lock forward Patrick Carrigan took responsibility for an earlier error that allowed the Roosters to gain momentum. “To be honest, that was my fault,” he said. “I made an error down in the good ball set, just a loose carry and I turned over the ball and put us on the back foot and released pressure of the game.”
Carrigan also addressed the incident involving Staggs, stating, “I know ‘Tones’ (Staggs) plays aggressively but I know he wouldn’t have meant to do any harm. To be honest, I didn’t even see it until after the game, so we play a hard fast game, he made a mistake and I’m sure he’ll own that. I love when he’s playing aggressive and I love running out with him.”
