I just worry about his return. The good thing he has going for him is that he is a left foot jumper, so it won’t effect his spring in the ruck contest (if that is the position he returns to) or going for marks as a forward.
But at his size and the load that goes through that area with every step, let alone jumping and landing, even after surgery it is always going to be a weak point. Then you add the natural overcompensation in trying to protect it and causing possible injuries to his other side. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him as a full time crash and bash forward upon return so he isn’t having to cover as much of the ground as ruck.
Hopefully our medical team seek the best advice and rehab opportunities to allow the best chance of recovery and so he can get back to the level he was showing this year.
If a player has a career ending injury does he get an insurance payout or just his contract? There’s only so many behind the scenes jobs available for a club to look after one of its own.
I had an Achilles rupture and repair. My surgeon was confident a well-repaired Achilles was at least as strong as any Achilles. The biggest things are busting up the scar tissue that inevitably forms between the repaired tendon and sheath with massage and stretching, and rebuilding the shrunken calf - which is just a matter of work. It really shouldn’t be a weak point. You’d be more worried about the other side.
Well past sport but it was pretty much back to normal in 12 months with not the most diligent rehab. It felt a bit like I had steel belts in it for a while - the surgeon explained that a tendon is made up of fibres (think something like horse hair) and a kind of ‘gel’ - he used another word but I forget. Of course this was not a representation of what’s actually in there but was a way of explaining the structure that you could picture.He said if you had a 100% healthy, non degenerative Achilles, the calf muscle or ankle bones would go first if you stressed the joint to failure. So he reckoned every Achilles rupture was to some degree degenerative before the rupture - picture some of the fibres having broken down.
Anyway he explained the surgery consisted of running an enormously long suture back and forth to provide a lot of longitudinal fibres (and a kind of substrate for scar tissue to form which also strengthens the repair - and is a good thing, unlike the scar tissue that forms between the tendon and sheath). Then I think he said he wrapped hoops of suture around the whole stitched up thing. Whatever he did it was a superb job. I’ve seen lots of others and many are a bit lumpy. Mine looks normal except for a neat scar- a bit thicker than the other side.
Another heartbreakung injury for our team.
Sam looks like he loves having fun on the field and is great to watch due to this.
This in itself would lift the team morale.
All the best for your recovery Sam.
Does he seem injury prone to anyone else? I love him in the side, when he’s playing well he’s a game changer (like Laycock was ). But, maybe we should cash that cheque, and make a trade if one is available?
). But, maybe we should cash that cheque, and make a trade if one is available?