Achi news desk-
Gold Coast captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui will miss the rest of the season after scans confirmed he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament against Canterbury on Saturday.
The Titans confirmed the 24-year-old representative prop underwent scans in Sydney on Saturday night after the side’s 32-0 loss and further analysis by the club doctor on Sunday morning reinforced the worst possible news.
Fa’asuamaleaui, the team’s best player, was helped off the field in the 66th minute at Belmore after his right knee twisted while carrying the football.
The injury has left the Titans in dire straits after their lackluster start to the season, which included a 28-4 loss to St George Illawarra where Fa’asuamaleaui ran for 182 meters and made 28 tackles in a commanding display in a badly beaten team. .
The Titans have already had an injury-riddled start to the season with fullback Jayden Campbell (patella) and backrower David Fifita (torn pectoral) yet to play in the NRL.
Campbell returned to action on Saturday in the Queensland Cup with Tweed Heads and could be available for Saturday’s round four NRL clash with the Dolphins at Robina.
In a positive development, Queensland powerhouse Fifita trained the past two weeks without a pink non-contact bib after he tore a pec while training in December.
Campbell and Fifita will add strike to the Titans but Fa’asuamaleaui is the spiritual leader of the team and for far too long he has carried the team on his back.
His loss is a major blow to the Titans’ finals hopes and leaves coach Des Hasler with a huge void in what has already been a dismal start to the season.
The injury is also a dagger in the heart of the Maroons ahead of this year’s State of Origin series – the Titans captain has played 12 consecutive Origin games in which the Maroons have won three series.
His blow comes at the back of Queensland also losing Dolphins forward Tom Gilbert to a season-ending ACL injury.
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