Queensland star Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a major knee injury in the Gold Coast Titans’ defeat to the Bulldogs on Saturday.
The Titans skipper was assisted from the field in the second half of a 32-0 loss at Belmore Oval after Bulldogs prop Max King fell awkwardly on Fa’asuamaleaui’s right knee following a hit-up from the State of Origin forward.
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui holds his knee after suffering an ACL rupture at Belmore Oval.Credit: Getty
Scans on Sunday revealed an ACL rupture, and Fa’asuamaleaui will now require surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation. The Titans will release a statement on Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Cronulla are fuming at the NRL’s explanation for Wests Tigers forward John Bateman avoiding any charge for a tackle that has Toby Rudolf facing also surgery and a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
Rudolf suffered an ankle injury in the Tigers 32-6 thrashing of the Sharks at Leichhardt Oval and is awaiting results on Sunday amid fears he requires an operation from a 55th-minute tackle by Bateman.
Should Rudolf need surgery he would be the third Cronulla player in the past 18 months sidelined by a tackle where the defender fell across a ball-carrier’s ankles.
The Sharks sent the NRL a please explain regarding Bateman’s tackle on Sunday, which was not penalised on-field, and are unimpressed with the response provided.
Toby Rudolf is assessed after an injury at Leichhardt Oval.Credit: Getty
An NRL source, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the private nature of the correspondence, told this masthead that Bateman was ruled to have attempted a conventional legs tackle before being dragged onto Rudolf’s legs through momentum.
The Match Review Committee ruled that Bateman made an effort to get his body weight to the ground first, before Rudolf’s legs.
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon declined to comment on Sunday. But privately the club is fuming at what it believes are inconsistencies in the Match Review Committee’s rulings on hip drop tackles.
Rudolf was the victim of a tackle earlier in the game that drew a dangerous contact charge against Tigers skipper Api Koroisau for swinging around onto the Cronulla prop’s legs.
Koroisau faces a $1000 fine with an early guilty plea to the charge, as does Stefano Utoikamanu for clipping Rudolf across the chin in the same tackle.
Should Rudolf require surgery, he would join Will Kennedy (against Souths in 2022) and Hunt (against Melbourne last year) in needing an ankle operation after an ugly tackle.
Then-Storm skipper Christian Welch was suspended for one week for his hip-drop on Hunt, who missed six games through injury, while Tevita Tatola was not charged for the tackle that floored Kennedy.
Rudolf said after full-time that he had no issue with Bateman’s tackle, describing it as “one of those unfortunate tackles in footy”.
“They’re saying it’s a possible syndesmosis, but we’ll just have to wait and see,” Rudolf said.
“I’ve booted it up as a precaution. It didn’t feel great, but we’ll see what happens.
“It happened on my last run of the game. I had my legs taken out by John Bateman, and it was one of those unfortunate tackles in footy and I pulled up a bit sore.
“I’ve never done this injury before, so it’s hard to know what it’s meant to feel like, but all the signs aren’t too great with how it’s feeling.”
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