NRL Casualty Ward: Eels stars tracking for Pre-Season Challenge
Parramatta are set to welcome back skipper Clint Gutherson and representative prop Junior Paulo in coming days, after the pair were held back from full training as they recovered from knee and toe injuries respectively.
In an update on January 23 the club said after each undergoing surgery over the off-season, the pair are nearing a return to full fitness, while Makahesi Makatoa (pec) and Daejarn Asi (finger) have now re-joined the main training group after completing their own recovery periods following surgery.
In good news for the Warriors and Broncos, halves Shaun Johnson and Adam Reynolds remain on track for Round 1 despite suffering injuries during pre-season training.
Reynolds sent a scare through the Broncos’ camp after being assisted from the field during a training session, with the club later confirming the 33-year-old sustained a strain to his right foot but was expected to miss just a few days of training.
The Warriors meanwhile plan to begin Johnson’s return to running programme in the last week of January, after he picked up a minor ankle strain that saw him placed in a moon boot.
The club’s head of performance Balin Cupples also gave updates on winger Ed Kosi and rookie back rower Demitric Sifakula, with Kosi set to return in the opening rounds of the competition after having a scaphoid repair and Sifakula on track for a mid-season return from ACL surgery.
Casualty Ward By Club
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Broncos -
Bulldogs -
Cowboys -
Dragons -
Dolphins -
Eels -
Knights -
Panthers -
Rabbitohs -
Raiders -
Roosters -
Sea Eagles -
Sharks -
Storm -
Titans -
Warriors -
Wests Tigers
At the Dolphins a hamstring injury may keep playmaker Anthony Milford out of the Pre-Season Challenge, with the veteran not expected to be available until around the second week of February.
Bulldogs forward Ryan Sutton underwent a knee procedure in late January, with a timeline on his return yet to be confirmed.
Titans star David Fifita has returned to the training after undergoing surgery to repair a partial pectoral tear in December and is building up his running load in a bid to regain normal movement.
At the Cowboys fullback Tom Chester has returned to full training as he pushes to be available for the club’s Pre-Season Challenge matches in February.
Chester’s return to normal activity on January 15 comes less than nine months on from him rupturing his ACL in Round 9 last year.
At the other end of the spectrum Dragons recruit Corey Allan has been dealt a cruel blow a month out from the start of the new season, with confirmation he suffered a ruptured ACL at training on January 11.
The club confirmed the 25-year-old backline utility will require a knee reconstruction, with the estimated recovery period of nine months meaning he will miss the entire 2024 campaign.
Having only signed Allan in mid-December, Dragons head coach Shane Flanagan said it was extremely disappointing news.
“Terrible news both for Corey and the club. He had settled in well since joining the club in December and was set to push for a club debut in the backline early in the season,” he said.
Dolphins back-rower Connelly Lemuelu has returned to the training field for the first time since suffering a knee injury while playing for Samoa last October.
The 25-year-old damaged both his MCL and PCL against Australia and has been rehabbing ever since, but is now hopeful of being back for the club’s season-opener against the Cowboys and remains a chance to feature in February’s Pre-Season Challenge.
“I am just sort of easing into it this week (commencing January 8) and next week hopefully get into full training,” Lemuelu said on the Dolphins website.
Broncos winger Jesse Arthars will be racing the clock to be part of the club’s Pre-Season Challenge campaign after spraining his ankle at training.
An MRI on his left ankle confirmed the injury, with Ballard saying the aim will now be to have him fit and firing for the February 18 pre-season clash with the Cowboys in Mackay.
The club’s forwards Payne Haas (general hamstring tightness) and Fletcher Baker (returning from groin surgery) have been training away from the main group but are on track for Round 1.
To view the complete NRL Casualty Ward, please visit the hub page.
Your club’s NRL Casualty Ward
Broncos | Raiders | Bulldogs | Sharks | Dolphins
Titans | Sea Eagles | Storm | Knights
Eels | Cowboys | Panthers | Rabbitohs
Dragons | Roosters | Warriors | Wests Tigers
Chemist Warehouse Casualty Ward
Brisbane Broncos
- Adam Reynolds (foot, pre-season training)
- Jesse Arthars (ankle, Pre-Season Challenge)
- Jordan Riki (shoulder, Round 1)
- Payne Haas (hamstring, pre-season training)
- Fletcher Baker (groin, pre-season training)
Canberra Raiders
- Corey Horsburgh (suspended, early rounds)
- Seb Kris (suspended, early rounds)
- Corey Harawira-Naera (seizure/medical, indefinite)
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
- Karl Oloapu (neck, indefinite)
- Ryan Sutton (knee, indefinite)
- Connor Tracey (leg, pre-season training)
Cronulla Sharks
Nil.
Dolphins
- Anthony Milford (hamstring, Round 1)
- Connelly Lemuelu (knee, Round 1)
- Ray Stone (toe, Pre-Season Challenge)
Gold Coast Titans
- Jojo Fifita (ankle, Round 1)
- Erin Clark (shoulder, Round 1)
