- Joey Manu suffers double fracture in left hand
- Roosters star was injured while fending off a tackle
- Roosters will be without Manu for the next month
Joey Manu faces a disrupted end to to his time in rugby league after suffering two fractures in his left hand in the Sydney Roosters’ 40-6 drubbing of Wests Tigers.
Manu immediately pulled up in pain after attempting to fend off Adam Doueihi during the first half on Sunday night, clutching at his left hand as he left the field.
Early indications were that the rugby-bound star had suffered a break, typically ruling players out for at least a month.
‘It’s a broken hand,’ Roosters coach Trent Robinson confirmed after the game.
‘I didn’t see him (in the sheds) but I think he’s gone to have it repaired or looked at straight away. It’s a broken hand which is disappointing.
‘I was hoping it was a cork or a winding because I couldn’t really see, but as soon as you saw the replay and saw his hand, you knew it wasn’t great.’
A statement from the club on Monday morning read: ‘Scans have confirmed Joseph Manu sustained two fractures in his left hand.
‘He will undergo surgery, and will return to play in approximately one month.’
Joey Manu (pictured) suffered two fractures in his left hand on Sunday
Manu’s injury was the only sour spot on a dominant night for the Roosters, as James Tedesco starred by scoring a try and having a hand in three others.
The hosts went from 0-0 to 16-0 up in a seven-minute patch without the Tigers touching the ball, with Tedesco particularly damaging through the middle.
He helped create the space for Manu to put Dom Young over for the Roosters’ first, before busting through the middle on the play before the winger’s second.
Tedesco also batted on a ball for Daniel Tupou to score on the left wing after the break, before breaking through to score his own while the Tigers were down to 11 men.
Luke Keary also had a good night, crossing for one of own and kicking for an unmarked Tupou to score another later in the second half.
The Tigers are now back in last spot and looked nothing like the side that won their previous two matches.
They lacked impetus in attack and only scored points in the final minute, while Aidan Sezer’s woeful tackle attempt in the lead up to a first-half Terrell May try summed up their night.
Api Koroisau and Adam Doueihi both spent time in the sin-bin for a dangerous throw and hip-drop tackle respectively, while John Bateman could also face time out for a high tackle.
Manu’s fractures is a crippling blow to a club already struggling with injuries
Tigers coach Benji Marshall was insistent afterwards Doueihi should not have been binned for his tackle on Young.
‘I don’t know what he’s supposed to do,’ Marshall said.
‘Sol (Faataape) puts on a good shot, sends (Young) backwards and Doueihi is just underneath him. It was a bit harsh.
‘It’s hard to know. It’s a lottery at the moment and we seem to be on the wrong end of it.
‘And Api’s one could have gone either way. They were a bit harsh.’
But the main concern from the match remains Manu, who is playing in his last season at the Roosters before heading to Japanese rugby.
His injury adds further stress to an already depleted Roosters backline.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has one more game to serve from his State of Origin suspension, while Fetalaiga Pauga is banned for another three games.
Billy Smith (ankle), Robert Toia (knee) and Lewis Murphy (scaphoid) are also sidelined.
The Roosters played Sitili Tupouniua at centre against the Tigers, while Michael Jennings made his return from a hamstring injury via NSW Cup on Saturday.
The club are hopeful of bringing Mark Nawaqanitawase across from rugby after the Olympics, but the Roosters do not intend on bringing him into their NRL side.
