Melbourne Storm fullback and utility Sua Fa'alogo has suffered an injury on the eve of the 2024 NRL Finals as he looked to push for a spot on the interchange bench.
Limping from the field in the second half against the Brisbane Broncos on Thursday evening, the Samoan international sustained a suspected hamstring injury and will soon undergo scans.
His departure from the field came after he ran for 208 running metres and provided two try assists in an enlightening performance that saw him push for a spot in the team for the 2024 NRL Finals.
Speaking post-match, coach Craig Bellamy confirmed that Fa'alogo's injury isn't as bad as first thought. This comes as early indications suggested that he could be on the sidelines for 2-6 weeks.
"He is a great runner of the footy and like lightning," Bellamy said.
"The more games we can get him the more he is going to learn about the game and the better player he will be."
Sua Fa’alogo is off with a left hamstring injury. Appeared to have limited strength during on field testing & affected his gait.
Even a minor strain would usually be at least a 2 week return to play, but concern for moderate strain & 4-6 week recovery time here.
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) September 5, 2024
As Fa'alogo undergoes scans to determine the full extent of the injury, Craig Bellamy revealed that Ryan Papenhuyzen will be ready to go for the opening week of the 2024 NRL Finals.
"At a pinch Paps could have played this week but we didn't want to take that risk," Bellamy said.
"We didn't want him to pull up sore and not train all next week leading into the finals so we thought that was the best way to go. The medical staff seem to think Paps will be fine for next week."
