Josh Schuster is left at home by the Manly Sea Eagles before the first NRL round in Las Vegas.
Manly has confirmed that Josh Schuster will not be travelling to Las Vegas with them, as the forward’s knee setback has prevented him from boarding the aircraft.
Schuster, who could have a career-defining 2024 season, has missed both of the Sea Eagles’ tryouts due to calf problems, a fractured finger, and chickenpox during the off-season.
In an attempt to take a “conservative approach” to Schuster’s calf recuperation, the Sea Eagles have decided to keep the 22-year-old at home for their NRL round one match on March 3 against South Sydney in the United States.
Manly coach Anthony Seibold said the move would allow Schuster, who will switch to the back row this season, to get himself right to play in the club’s round two meeting with the Sydney Roosters.
“The medical staff has said that due to ongoing tightness … we’re not comfortable having him return to play and that we want to take a more conservative approach,” Seibold said in a statement.
Josh’s first calf injury occurred only 21 days ago, therefore we won’t be taking him to Las Vegas.
“We will leave him here hoping that he will return in the near future, with the expectation that he will be playing again from round two.”
The Sea Eagles are optimistic that journeyman prop Matt Lodge would return by the latest round of eight.
Lodge ended the previous season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
“Matthew has shown some really good signs and is running well,” Seibold stated.
“We will reintroduce him to basic skills on our return from Las Vegas.”
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Several people were starting to believe that the Manly Sea Eagles preferred losing in March following their dismal 0-2 start to the 2022 campaign.
But last weekend, the Northern Beaches team won their first victory, defeating the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in a close game.