Warriors halfback Luke Metcalf’s aspirations for the Dally M award have taken a serious hit after he appeared to suffer an ACL injury during his team’s defeat to the Broncos on Saturday. With just 15 minutes remaining in the match, Metcalf’s knee gave way while being tackled by Brendan Piakura, who has since been reported for the incident.
He required assistance to leave the field, and images captured in the locker room revealed him being comforted by coaching staff. This unfortunate situation follows a similar injury to his left knee back in 2019; this time, it’s his right knee that has been affected. Metcalf was not the only Warrior sidelined during the game—fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad also succumbed to a knee injury just before half-time and did not return for the second half.
Both players will undergo scans after returning to New Zealand on Monday but have already been ruled out of the next fixture against the Tigers in two weeks’ time. Coach Andrew Webster refrained from making assumptions about the seriousness of either injury, stating the need to wait for the results of the scans before drawing conclusions.
“I think there are all possibilities on the table at the moment,” Webster explained post-match. He assured that while there are various potential outcomes, both players will certainly be absent in two weeks. Metcalf was leading the Dally M voting with 31 points when the count was closed after round 13. His injury could mark another season-ending ACL for the Warriors this year, following co-captain Mitch Barnett’s rupture while backing up after Origin I.
The Warriors’ 26-12 loss against Brisbane marked their second consecutive defeat, a first this season as they struggle to maintain momentum. Despite the setbacks, they remain fourth on the ladder, two wins behind the Raiders at the top and two clear of the Broncos in fifth place.