Penrith’s premiership hopes are dealt HUGE blow as Jarome Luai suffers serious shoulder injury against Parramatta – with New South Wales star expected to miss NRL finals
- Jarome Luai dislocated his shoulder in the first half against Parramatta
- The Penrith five-eight could be out for the remainder of the season
- Penrith lost 32-18 at home to the Eels but remain top of the ladder
Penrith’s hopes of a third consecutive premiership suffered a crushing blow on Thursday night, as Jarome Luai dislocated his left shoulder.
The champion five-eight left the field 27 minutes into reigning premiers’ 32-18 loss against Parramatta after his left arm bent awkwardly following a Bryce Cartwright tackle.
The Eels backrower successfully prevented the Penrith star from burrowing over the line from close range, but immediately signalled to the referee the latter had suffered a serious injury.
Luai winced in pain as he walked off the field, before being ruled out with a dislocated shoulder.
In the best-case scenario, the prognosis for a dislocated shoulder is for between three to six weeks out.
Jarome Luai dislocated his left shoulder during the game against Parramatta on Thursday night
The champion five-eight left the field 27 minutes into the game after his left arm bent awkwardly following a Bryce Cartwright tackle
Former NRL greats Michael Ennis and Billy Slater immediately realised the seriousness of the injury.
‘The weight of Cartwright came down on the back of his shoulder,’ Ennis said on Fox League.
Speaking in commentary on Channel Nine, Slater added: ‘When your hand hits the ground and slides out and someone lands on top, that’s not a good sign for Jarome Luai.
‘He knows what’s going on, the face tells the story in these situations.’
In the best-case scenario, the prognosis for a dislocated shoulder is for between three to six weeks out.
However, in the event the joint has suffered significant structural damager, the injury can result in up to three months on the sidelines.
Penrith medical staff said they were optimistic the New South Wales star could return this year after they popped his shoulder back into place.
The Panthers have repeatedly found ways to win even without their best players, but Luai will leave a huge gap to fill in the finals, which begin on September 8.
Jack Cogger is the favourite to replace the Blues star in the halves, while Mitch Kenny should be again available over the next few weeks after recovering from injury.
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