Broken ankle fears for Kiwis' Beale
Gerard Beale’s Rugby League World Cup could be over after the New Zealand centre suffered a suspected broken ankle in the Kiwis' win over Samoa.
In one of the more bizarre injuries to befall a sportsman, Beale simply fell over in Auckland - away from any contact - with a serious leg injury on Saturday and was taken off the field.
Kiwis coach David Kidwell told reporters the Warriors recruit had been taken to hospital with what physios thought was a broken ankle.
Kidwell will look to bring a new player into the Kiwis fold in the next week, while Dean Whare, who missed the Samoa match with a tweaked ankle, would likely be eligible for selection for next weekend’s clash with Scotland in Christchurch.
Kenny Bromwich would also return from the groin injury that kept him out of Saturday’s 38-8 win and forced a pack reshuffle, with Adam Blair moving to lock.
“It’s all pretty raw at the moment. We’ll take in the win but we’ll definitely sit down with the medical team, look at who we can replace him with,” Kidwell said.
“We make decisions not just off the top of our head.
“We’ve got to make sure the person we bring in is the right fit.”
Should the initial diagnosis prove true, Beale – a 2016 NRL Premiership winner with Cronulla – would also miss a large chunk of his maiden Warriors campaign.
