Premiers Penrith have been dealt a blow with James Fisher-Harris, arguably one of the top three props in the game, to be sidelined with a knee injury for a month.
Fisher-Harris suffered a grade-two medial ligament tear in his right knee against Canberra last weekend. Despite being strapped up and in excruciating pain, he had to be talked out of returning for the second half.
Jaeman Salmon’s “weak-gutted dog” try celebration meant the injury to Fisher-Harris was largely overlooked, but the Herald can reveal the New Zealand international is now expected to be out of action until round 10, when the competition decamps to Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium for Magic Round.
The absence of Fisher-Harris means Sydney Roosters fans will get to watch next year’s recruit Spencer Leniu play more minutes, although coach Ivan Cleary is expected to resist elevating the 22-year-old to the starting side this Saturday at home against Manly.
Newly-re-signed Moses Leota welcomed the challenge of trying to lead the pack without his trusty starting front-row partner Fisher-Harris, whose aggression and work rate is almost impossible to replace.
“He’s a massive loss for us, he’s our forward leader, and everyone will need to step up in his absence,” Leota said.
James Fisher-Harris is widely regarded as one of the best props in the game.Credit: Janie Barrett/SMH
“He has all those attributes you want your teammates to have. He has that mongrel.”
Forward Scott Sorensen said about Fisher-Harris: “He’s such a strong force in our forward pack. It gives other players an opportunity, which is fantastic. We have ‘Mo’ [Leota], and Matty Eisenhuth jumps in there as well, and he’ll do a great job.
James Fisher-Harris with his knee heavily strapped at a Panthers cultural event during the weekCredit: Penrith Panthers
“But we will miss ‘Fish’, we love having him in there, and he’s an enforcer. He’s already getting ready for when he comes back.
“It doesn’t surprise me he was trying to come back out the other night, but at the time it was better to be safe than sorry.”
Salmon’s swipe after he scored a try on full-time to help Penrith notch 50 points was aimed at Canberra coach Ricky Stuart, who used the same three words to describe him after a game last year. Stuart never forgot Salmon, who allegedly picked on two of his children a decade earlier.
Sorensen said the full-time scenes were emotional for Salmon, but “I feel like he can close the book on that chapter now and move on; it’s done”.
Meanwhile, local junior Leota, 27, said he was surprised the club had moved so quickly to extend his deal, and expected to have been waiting a little longer while some of his teammates were made a priority.
“I didn’t think the extension would come this early given I already have another year, but I’m grateful; I was focusing on letting my footy do the talking,” Leota said.
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