Parramatta forward Nathan Brown will spend at least the next six weeks on the sidelines with the rehabilitation group after undergoing knee surgery this week.
Brown had his lateral meniscus removed after suffering the injury in a training mishap while the squad was put through a wrestling drill.
The setback is on the opposite leg to the injury that meant he missed Parramatta’s finish to the 2018 Telstra Premiership.
"I was just wrestling and it come up sore, I didn't think anything of it but it just kept getting worse," Brown said.
"I had a clean-out, about six to eight weeks. You can run in a couple of weeks, I'll probably just miss all the hard sessions before Christmas.
"I've been good lately, my last surgery was when I was 22. I thought it would've been my last one but hopefully it's this one."
Brown joined half the Eels squad at the Royal Children's Hospital in Westmead on Tuesday to take time out of their pre-season training schedule and spread some cheer to infants and their families before Christmas.
The other half of the squad went to the Ronald McDonald House on Tuesday evening including playmaker Corey Norman, who is one of several high-profile Parramatta players coming off contract next season.
Brown wouldn't be drawn into questions about whether Norman could be moved on by the club in the off-season but said he had been impressed with his attitude despite questions around his short-term future.
More than half the Eels squad will be free agents at the end of 2019 with Brown an exception after agreeing to a two-year extension on the back of a strong individual year.
"He's a freak of a talent and if that's where Parramatta board are going to go then that's it, we can't really control what happens," Brown said.
"Obviously it would be disappointing but a lot of people are off contract and that means a lot of movement will be happening, that's just the way it is.
"It's a business these days, especially with everything that's been happening. Everyone knows they're off contract.
"If you come into our camp you wouldn't think so many players said they weren't wanted or plenty of movement is going on. Everyone's positive and the energy is good
Replies
So will he be ready come round 1 in 2019?
Yeah he reckons he'll be back running in 2 weeks and then back into contact 4 weeks after that. I'm guessing he'll be back in the main group in February.
Quite unfortunate though as he's quite integral to the second phase play that we need to be pushing to add some creativity. We need him there at training to emphasise this.
Sammy would say it is awesome. I say it is awful, a real low blow to have it happen at training. Is it that necessary to have wrestling drills at training? Too big a cost I say.
Cranky Brad: Yes, I am serious. I am not opposed to training per se but I do query the wrestling component. I know that all clubs do it but that does not say much. The cost-benefit ratio of wrestling training is rather poor when your best players can go down with serious injuries.
He could also do his knee tripping over something at home. Can't go around wrapping players in cotton wool. Injuries happen, this was unfortunate but you can't get rid of wrestling practice, especially in this day and age.
Injuries in sport happen. You can have as many injury management and prevention precautions in place and injuries will still happen. It's a very full on contact sport and they need to get their bodies up to the rigours of it. That means some stuff will break/tear/snap in the process. Way better it happens now than Round 1.
We were outwrestled continually last season. We hardly ever got out of our own end. We need this practise!
The Captain there are people who simply don't understand NRL. You can try to explain it to them but they believe they know better.
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