The Manly Sea Eagles continue their hot streak of form after a classy 32-4 win over the Brisbane Broncos on Saturday night.
It has come at a dire cost for the Northern Beaches club, with veteran forward Sio Siua Taukeiaho fracturing his leg in dramatic scenes as he was scoring a try.
The Tongan international made his return to the NRL in 2025 after an 18-month hiatus in the northern hemisphere, where he managed only 10 appearances for the Catalans Dragons.
The two-time premiership-winning forward signed a one-year deal to prove himself as a reliable, experienced middle to assist Manly's evolving pack.
Taukeiaho delivered immensely and picked up the Manly Mentality Award for his recognition in team-first action and high-effort displays across his 21 appearances for the year.
He picked up right where he left off, and after a calf injury keeping him out of the first six weeks of the season, many were excited to see the veteran keep on ticking away in maroon and white.
There were extremely concerning scenes at 4 Pines Park when Taukeiaho could not move after smashing through Broncos defence to score a try, where an awkward tackle fractured both his fibula and tibia.
The toughness of the 195-game veteran to still maintain possession despite being in unrelenting pain shows his courageousness that got him the Manly Mentality accolade.
At 34-years old, there are fears rehabilitating the injury may be too big a challenge for Taukeiaho, given he is off-contract at the end of this year.
“These are concerning scenes,” Dan Ginnane said in Fox commentary.
The former Sydney Rooster is looking at a lengthy recovery period of up to a year, which may see him without an offer and a return to the field.
“He's broken his fibula and tibia. It's a pretty bad break,” Kieran Foran said in his post-match press conference.
Whether the Sea Eagles see enough value in Taukeiaho to extend his stay for a year through rehab is unknown, with the club hoping for a quick recovery before the end of the season.
However, if these were his last moments in the NRL, there is no-doubt he will be recognised among the Sea Eagles faithful as a legend, with the boisterous Brookvale crowd clapping him off the field as he was stretchered off.
“Devastating for Sio Siua, it's a pretty bad break,” Foran said.
“It is a double break of that leg, the tibia and fibula on that lower leg, so it's not great, but he will go in for surgery tonight or first thing tomorrow morning.”
Interim coach Foran, who boasts a five out of six win record since taking over, is refusing to rule out Taukeiaho just yet.
“I can't give Sio Siua a big enough wrap for the job he has done in the early part of the season,” Foran added.
“He is an experienced front-rower who has been in some winning systems over at the Roosters and the experience he has given our group, particularly through our middle forwards is invaluable.
“But it's not over for him because he is a true professional and he will get the surgery done and get himself back quicker than expected, and hopefully he is back before the end of the season.”
The Sea Eagles continue their dominate patch of form as they prepare for a encounter with the Wests Tigers in Magic Round on Saturday.
