NRL Casualty Ward: Tino nears return to full training

Author: NRL.com
Timestamp: Mon 6 Jan 2025, 03:39 PM

With the opening round of Pre-Season Challenge matches a month away, NRL.com takes a look at the injury news for all 17 clubs.

Titans skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui has completed a two-week training camp with renowned sports reconditioning and athletic coach Bill Knowles and has been progressing through a modified training program as part of his rehab plan.

The Titans reported on January 6 that Fa'asuamaleaui is expected to integrate fully back into the squad in mid-January.

The 24-year-old ruptured his ACL in Round 3 against the Bulldogs and took no further part in the season.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys suffered a cruel double blow just before Christmas with back-rower Heilum Luki and outside back Tom Chester both suffering ACL injuries at training.

The Cowboys confirmed that star back-rower Luki would have surgery in January and miss the entire 2025 season.

Townsville local Chester has endured a terrible run of injuries in recent years, with an ACL injury also cutting short his season in 2023. Since making his debut in 2022, the outside back has featured in 12 games for North Queensland.

Champion forward Jason Taumalolo had surgery in early December to repair a Lisfranc injury suffered playing for Tonga in the Pacific Championships, with a return to play timeline to be determined in January upon his return to training.

Storm superstar Cameron Munster believes he will be fit for the Round 1 clash with Parramatta on March 9 at AAMI Park as he continues his recovery from hip surgery.

Munster had surgery on both his hips following Melbourne's NRL grand final loss to Penrith and missed Australia's victorious Pacific Championships campaign.

The Origin five-eighth is undergoing rehabilitation to strengthen his glutes, groins and hips and won't start running until February.

“I’m pretty frustrated. I’ve been inside for a while and I want to be able to get back out there and run, but I’m optimistic," Munster said in early December.

"I won’t be able to run until February. I’m doing everything I can to fast track it but [the fitness staff] are not going to push as hard as I want to go.”

“I will be ready to go by round one - which is me pencilling myself in.

"I’ll be hopefully running and doing full contact by February, hopefully even get a trial game in but we’ll see where we are at.”

At the Panthers, champion No.7 Nathan Cleary is racing the clock to be fit for the trip to Las Vegas in Round 1 after off-season shoulder surgery.

Cleary sustained the injury in the closing stages of Penrith's Round 24 clash against Melbourne and missed three matches before returning for the opening week of the finals against the Roosters.

Hamstring and shoulder injuries restricted Cleary to just 13 games in 2024 but he defied the pain to lead his club to a historic fourth straight premiership.

Nathan Cleary's top attacking plays of 2024

Cleary's teammate Paul Alamoti suffered a suspected dislocated elbow during Tonga's loss to the Kangaroos in the Pacific Championships final in November.

Clive Churchill Medal winner Liam Martin was ruled out of Australia's Pacific Championships campaign after succumbing to injuries picked up throughout the NRL season.

Martin played through the Panthers' grand final win with shoulder and rib problems revealing after the game he had painkillers every week from Round 4 to cope with the pain from a debilitating shoulder injury.

Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray underwent surgery in November for a wrist injury sustained while in camp with the Kangaroos.

Murray suffered the injury during training in the lead-up to Australia's 22-10 defeat of New Zealand in Christchurch, ruling him out of the final against Tonga.

South Sydney officials said the operation had been a success.

The Test and Origin forward's wrist was immobilised in a cast for a six-week period, after which a rehabilitation program has been implemented.

Dally M Medallist Jahrome Hughes (neck) and hooker Jeremy Marshall-King (knee) both missed the Kiwis' Pacific Championships campaign but should be good to go come Round 1.

Marshall-King's Dolphins teammate Connelly Lemuelu had a shoulder reconstruction and was looking at a five-month rehabilitation period, which would have him back for the pre-season trials.

New Zealand did not select Ronaldo Mulitalo (knee), Dylan Brown (knee), Kieran Foran (ankle), Moses Leota (shoulder), Briton Nikora (ankle), Kayal Iro (hamstring) and Te Maire Martin (neck).

Brown suffered a partial ACL tear in Parramatta's final game of 2024 and is being integrated back into full training. He was expected to return to unrestricted training post-Christmas.

His Eels teammate J'maine Hopgood isn't expected to resume training until February after undergoing a knee operation. Hopgood, who missed the second half of 2024 with a back injury sustained in Origin I, underwent an arthroscopy to resolve the knee issue that has been hampering him.

At the Dragons, star recruit Val Holmes is progressing well and has transitioned into team training after suffering a broken fibula in the Cowboys' semi-final loss to the Sharks. He will be available for the club's first trial.

Fullback Tyrell Sloan has suffered a stress injury in his right foot after developing pain whilst training. He is expected to commence rehab running after Christmas and will be available for the club's first trial match.

To view the complete NRL Casualty Ward, please visit the hub page.

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Brisbane Broncos

Reece Walsh (wrist, 2025)
Tyson Smoothy (ankle, 2025)
Ezra Mam (ankle, 2025)
Xavier Willison (suspended, 2025)
Kotoni Staggs (quad, 2025)
Brendan Piakura (syndesmosis, 2025)

Canberra Raiders

Pasami Saulo (back, 2025)
Zac Hosking (shoulder, 2025)
Jordan Rapana (cheekbone)
Corey Harawira-Naera (seizure/medical, indefinite)

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Ryan Sutton (knee, 2025)
Kurt Mann (fractured clavicle, 2025)

Cronulla Sharks

Jesse Ramien (ankle, 2025)
Jesse Colquhoun (knee, 2025)
Kade Dykes (knee, 2025)

Dolphins

Jeremy Marshall-King (knee, pre-season training)
Kenny Bromwich (elbow, pre-season training)
Tom Flegler (shoulder, 2025)
Tom Gilbert (knee, 2025)
Euan Aitken (pectoral, 2025)
Trai Fuller (knee, 2025)
Connelly Lemuelu (shoulder, pre-season trials)

Gold Coast Titans

Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (knee, 2025)
Keano Kini (cork, 2025)
David Fifita (ankle, 2025)
Phillip Sami (ankle, 2025)
Josiah Pahulu (abductor, 2025)
AJ Brimson (groin, 2025)

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

Jason Saab (ankle, 2025)
Aaron Schoupp (shoulder, 2025)
Jake Arthur (foot, 2025)

Melbourne Storm

Jahrome Hughes (neck, pre-season)
Nelson Asofa-Solomona (suspended, 2025)
Marion Seve (ankle, 2025)
Jonah Pezet (knee, 2025)
Chris Lewis (foot, 2025)

Newcastle Knights

Bradman Best (hamstring, 2025)
Jacob Saifiti (calf, 2025)
Enari Tuala (calf, 2025)

North Queensland Cowboys

Coen Hess (knee, 2025)
Zac Laybutt (knee, 2025)
Jamayne Taunoa-Brown (Achilles, pre-season training)

Parramatta Eels

Dylan Brown (knee, 2025)
Mitch Moses (biceps, 2025)
Kelma Tuilagi (broken hand, 2025)
Will Penisini (knee, 2025)
J'maine Hopgood (back, 2025)
Charlie Guymer (ankle, 2025)
Junior Paulo (lisfranc, 2025)
Arthur Miller-Stephen (knee, 2025)
Bailey Simonsson (knee, 2025)

Penrith Panthers

Liam Martin (shoulder/rib, 2025)
Nathan Cleary (shoulder, 2025)
Dylan Edwards (shoulder, 2025)

South Sydney Rabbitohs

Jack Wighton (calf, 2025)
Cameron Murray (suspended, 2025)
Shaquai Mitchell (calf, 2025)
Lachlan Ilias (leg, 2025)
Campbell Graham (sternum, 2025)
Alex Johnston (Achilles, 2025)
Latrell Mitchell (suspended, 2025)
Jai Arrow (shoulder, 2025)
Isaiah Tass (ankle, 2025)
Junior Tatola (foot, 2025)

St George Illawarra Dragons

Jack Bird (back, 2025)
Kyle Flanagan (suspended, 2025)
Ryan Couchman (knee, 2025)
Corey Allan (knee, 2025)
Sione Finau (hamstring, 2025)
Ben Murdoch-Masila (lisfranc, 2025)
Hame Sele (pericarditis, 2025)

Sydney Roosters

Sam Walker (knee, 2025)
Brandon Smith (knee, 2025)
Egan Butcher (knee, 2025)

Warriors

Te Maire Martin (neck, 2025)
Rocco Berry (shoulder, 2025)
Jackson Ford (knee, 2025)
Adam Pompey (knee, 2025)
Tohu Harris (wrist, 2025)

Wests Tigers

Adam Doueihi (knee, 2025)
Justin Olam (knee, 2025)
Jahream Bula (shoulder, 2025)

NRL Casualty Ward: Tino nears return to full training

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