There are fears for the NRL future of Brisbane Broncos veteran Delouise Hoeter, who broke his leg and suffered a syndesmosis injury playing for the Burleigh Bears in QLD Cup.
Head of Broncos recruitment Simon Scanlan gave Hoeter an NRL lifeline in 2021; since then has remained within the Broncos ranks with limited time in first grade.
Hoeter made a comeback in round 6 of the 2022 season after a 2475-day drought from his last game as a Wests Tigers player in 2015.
However, AAP is reporting that the gutsy outside back looks to undergo another tough rehabilitation after rupturing his patella tendon in 2024, giving him a 10-month recovery period.
The former Wests Tiger was able to manage seven games in 2022, but has found trouble in returning to the top grade since then, with one appearance to his name for the Broncos last year.
He faces a tough battle of resilience, with Scanlan glowing with praise of the NRL veteran.
“Some players make you better by the way they play. Some make you better by what they add to the dressing room. Delouise does both in bucket loads,” Scanlan told AAP in 2022 after Hoeter's return to the NRL.
The lone fixture Hoeter featured in during his last year was during the State of Origin period, filling in at centre and scoring a try against the Bulldogs.
With Kotoni Staggs in red-hot form to be selected for the Blues this year, no doubt Hoeter would have been in selection conversations this year-round.
Unfortunately, his fate has been decided, and he faces a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
The 32-year-old is off-contract after the 2026 season, and his injury timeline is unknown at this stage.
His journey back to the NRL after almost a decade away from the sport, along with his 10-month injury rehab in 2024, will give Hoeter the motivation to bounce back and return to doing what he loves in the top grade.
