Late Mail: All the injury news from the NRL Casualty Ward, team changes, line-ups for 2019 Telstra Premiership

Author: NRL.com
Timestamp: Wed 29 Jan 2020, 05:18 PM

Teenage Newcastle playmaker Phoenix Crossland will miss the trials and NRL Nines in February as he recovers from bone bruising on the hip.

The five-eighth is expected to be back "very early" in the NRL season.

Crossland had groin issues late last year and was struggling with the physical demands of pre-season when the bone bruising was found.

"[It] is a significant injury which you have to take a really conservative approach with," Knights head of performance Balin Cupples said.

"We've done that with Phoenix. He's come through the majority of that now, he's just getting back on the field."

Another Newcastle teen in centre Bradman Best should be fine to play in the trials despite being made to wear a moon boot after suffering a minor mid-foot sprain at training.

Best, who played three NRL games last year, is set to start running again this week.

Mason Lino has been cleared to start full training after an off-season shoulder reconstruction and will be available for the trials.

Meanwhile, Wests Tigers' pre-season campaign has received a shot in the arm with a trio of key forwards back in full training.

Alex Twal (groin), Matt Eisenhuth (groin) and Josh Aloiai (hand) have made successful comebacks from their injuries.

The likes of Elijah Taylor (knee), Michael Chee Kam (shoulder) and David Nofoaluma (shoulder) are also back in full team training after minor injuries or surgeries during the off-season break.

Veteran prop Russell Packer (foot) is also progressing well as he increases his running load. Young hooker Jacob Liddle (knee) continues to make progress with his strength training and movement drills and is on track to begin the running phase of his rehabilitation around round one.

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Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs will miss the All Stars game and Brisbane's trial against Redcliffe due to a foot injury from Tonga's Test win over Australia last November.

South Sydney's Cody Walker is in doubt for the All Stars game as he recovers from a shoulder reconstruction, likewise Cronulla's Andrew Fifita who had a knee cleanout before Christmas.

Ryan James is confident of being cleared to return from his knee reconstruction for the Indigenous All Stars.

The Casualty Ward

Five key match-ups of the Broncos' 2020 draw

Brisbane Broncos

Kotoni Staggs will miss the All Stars game and Brisbane's trial against Redcliffe due to a foot injury sustained in Tonga's Test win over Australia last November.

Jordan Kahu will miss the start of the 2020 season with the Broncos as he continues to recover from a shoulder reconstruction.

In better news, Jack Bird is set to return from an ACL injury in the trials.

Corey Oates (leg infection, trials)
Kotoni Staggs (toe, trials)
Richie Kennar (shoulder, trials)
Jack Bird (knee, trials)
Jordan Kahu (shoulder, round one)
Sean O'Sullivan (knee, mid-2020 season)
Keenan Palasia (knee, late-2020 season)

Five key match-ups of the Raiders' 2020 draw

Canberra Raiders

Curtis Scott will be available for the trials after suffering a syndesmosis injury playing for the Australian Prime Minister's XIII side in October.

Curtis Scott (ankle, trials)
Hudson Young (suspension, round six)

Five key match-ups of the Bulldogs' 2020 draw

Canterbury Bulldogs

Marcelo Montoya (knee) has ramped up his running load and is on the cusp of starting skills training. He is expected to join the main group around mid-February.

Kieran Foran (shoulder) is out of a brace as he commences the rehabilitation process. The playmaker has a follow-up meeting with the surgeon in February.

Jeremy Marshall-King (shoulder, round one)
Marcelo Montoya (knee, round one)
Sauaso Sue (knee, round one)
Kieran Foran (shoulder, indefinite)

Five key match-ups of the Sharks' 2020 draw

Cronulla Sharks

Teenage centre Bronson Xerri underwent a shoulder reconstruction in October and was cleared to start limited contact work after the Christmas break as he eyes a return for the round one clash with the Rabbitohs.

Andrew Fifita (knee, trials)
Bronson Xerri (shoulder, round one)

Five key match-ups of the Titans' 2020 draw

Gold Coast Titans

Shannon Boyd, Dale Copley and Ioane Seiuli all underwent shoulder reconstructions in their break and spent the first half of the pre-season in rehab.

Influential forward Ryan James remains on track for a round one return following an ACL injury, with the Indigenous All Star easing back into full contact.

Rising prop Moeaki Fotuaika had wrist and knee surgery over the off-season and has now joined the main training squad.

Dale Copley (shoulder, round one)
Shannon Boyd (shoulder, round one)
Moeaki Fotuaika (wrist/knee, round one)
Ryan James (knee, round one)
Keegan Hipgrave (repeated concussions, indefinite)

Five key match-ups of the Sea Eagles' 2020 draw

Manly Sea Eagles

Forwards Jake Trbojevic and Addin Fonua-Blake will sit out the entire summer with shoulder surgery expected to rule them out of the opening rounds of 2020. Trbojevic told AAP in early January that he was hopeful of being right to play for the first match of the season.

Joel Thompson suffered a freak accident in the off-season but is on track for the trials after returning to training in December.

Morgan Boyle (shoulder, pre-season)
Taniela Paseka (knee, pre-season)
Curtis Sironen (foot, trials)
Tom Trbojevic (pectoral, trials)
Joel Thompson (arm/neck, trials)
Albert Hopoate (knee, round one)
Jake Trbojevic (shoulder, early rounds 2020)
Addin Fonua-Blake (shoulder, early rounds 2020)
Manase Fainu (stood down)

Five key match-ups of the Storm's 2020 draw

Melbourne Storm

Representative prop Christian Welch is tracking nicely after suffering an ACL rupture last August but the Storm don't yet have an exact timeframe for his return.

Christian Welch (knee, indefinite)

Five key match-ups of the Knights' 2020 draw

Newcastle Knights

Rookie Starford To'a copped a setback before Christmas with the teenager undergoing finger surgery. He should be back into full training by late January.

Five-eighth Mason Lino is ahead of schedule after off-season shoulder reconstruction surgery and is on track for the trials.

Young forward Beau Fermor is progressing in his recovery from an ACL injury and is now building into his lateral and change-of-direction work on-field.

Bradman Best (foot, trials)
Starford To'a (finger, trials)
Phoenix Crossland (hip, round one)
Beau Fermor (knee, early-mid 2020 season)

Five key match-ups of the Cowboys' 2020 draw

North Queensland Cowboys

Centre Justin O'Neill is aiming to be back to full fitness for the trials after recovering from a life-threatening ruptured spleen injury.

New recruit Esan Marsters is at full health after a minor off-season ankle cleanout, with utility Ben Hampton (bicep) also back in unrestricted training.

Playmaker Te Maire Martin (brain bleed) has been forced into an early retirement with the risk of playing football again too high.

Justin O'Neill (spleen, pre-season)
Mitch Dunn (shoulder, round one)
Te Maire Martin (retired)

Five key match-ups of the Eels' 2020 draw

Parramatta Eels

Reagan Campbell-Gillard (elbow, pre-season)
Maika Sivo (hand, pre-season)
Waqa Blake (shoulder, round one)

Five key match-ups of the Panthers' 2020 draw

Penrith Panthers

Penrith are expecting to have star trio James Fisher-Harris (pectoral), Nathan Cleary (toe) and Isaah Yeo (shoulder) fit and firing when the season rolls around.

Young hooker Mitch Kenny (elbow) is the only regular Panthers player currently in danger of missing first round through injury.

Jack Hetherington (sternum, pre-season)
Caleb Aekins (foot, trials)
Spencer Leniu (hamstring, trials)
Nathan Cleary (toe, trials)
Jed Cartwright (shoulder, trials)
Isaah Yeo (shoulder, trials)
Mitch Kenny (elbow, round one)
James Fisher-Harris (pectoral, round one)
Dean Blore (shoulder, round six)
Soni Luke (pectoral, April)
Shaun Blore (ACL, April-May)
Brayden McGrady (ACL, April-May)
Tyrone May (stood down)

Five key match-ups of the Rabbitohs' 2020 draw

South Sydney Rabbitohs

Braidon Burns (hamstring, trials)
Liam Knight (foot, trials)
Cody Walker (shoulder, trials)
Adam Doueihi (ankle, trials)

Five key match-ups of the Dragons' 2020 draw

St George Illawarra Dragons

Tariq Sims (groin, pre-season)
Jason Saab (shoulder/foot, pre-season)
Cameron McInnes (leg, trials)
Jack de Belin (stood down)

Five key match-ups of the Roosters' 2020 draw

Sydney Roosters

Winger Ryan Hall started running in late January as he recovers from the knee injury he suffered while representing Great Britain last November.

Centre Billy Smith sustained his second ACL rupture in three years in January - to the opposite knee as last time - and faces a long recovery.

Ryan Hall (knee, round one)
Billy Smith (ACL, indefinite)

Five key match-ups of the Warriors' 2020 draw

Warriors

Wayde Egan underwent shoulder surgery in September while still at the Panthers but all indications are he will be good to go for round one at his new club.

Jazz Tevaga underwent ankle surgery in early December and is set to miss the opening month of the season.