Having famously made a miracle recovery from ankle surgery in just a month, Daly Cherry-Evans is backing Roosters halves partner Sam Walker to do likewise and figure in this year’s finals campaign.
Walker suffered a syndesmosis injury against the Dolphins in round 26 that required surgery, a setback that was initially considered a season-ending one. However, the Maroons playmaker has been rehabbing around the clock in a bid to play again this year.
The injury is identical to the one Cherry-Evans suffered in round seven in 2019. It was expected to sideline the former Manly captain for up to nine weeks, but he made a shock early comeback to captain Queensland to a win in the opening game of that year’s State of Origin series.
That moment turned out to be one of the most storied in the career of Cherry-Evans, who believes Walker can do something similar.
“Those injuries, you can get back pretty quick,” Cherry-Evans said. “I’ve tried to share my experience with him. It took me a touch over four weeks, so he’ll be trying to do the same.
“Look, we’re obviously saddened to hear that he needed surgery and wasn’t playing. It’s disappointing to hear those things when you see a teammate go down and hear the news they need surgery. But he’s lucky in the sense that it’s not a season-ending one, he’s still got a chance.
“And it gives Hugo [Savala] an opportunity, sort of like he did last year. He loves playing in the halves, and he’ll relish this opportunity.”
Walker wasn’t named for the Roosters’ semi-final clash with Cronulla at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, but could be available should they progress to a preliminary final. Cherry-Evans said Walker was giving himself every chance to return.
“You love to see it,” he said. “When you get hit with adversity in life, you can sit there and sob about it, or you can go after it. He’s going after it, and it just shows his character.
“He’s a resilient person. You can see him going after it. This season means a lot to him. You can tell by the way he’s trying to get back. It’s really cool.”
Roosters enforcer Victor Radley said it was inspiring to witness how diligent Walker had been in his recovery.
“Mate, if you see what some of these players are doing these days, you wouldn’t rule it out, because I don’t know if it’s the surgery and how they’re getting so much better at it or what it is, but people are just recovering quicker. Obviously doing better physio, better treatment,” Radley said.
“He’s probably only about 70 kilos … there’s not much weight on that ankle, so he should be sweet … from about four days after [surgery], he was walking around like he didn’t have anything done. So you wouldn’t notice anything.”
The Roosters have named Angus Crichton in the hope he will be ready to make a return from a foot fracture. The NSW and Australian forward was named last week, but was a late scratching from the side that lost to Penrith.
“Gus is closer [to playing] than Sammy,” Roosters captain James Tedesco said.
“It’s been two or three weeks now [for Walker], which is very quick, but he did some running last week, which is promising. Gussy has been sort of in and out of training, getting better and better, so I think he could be a chance … Gussy’s a big part of our team; he hasn’t been playing for a long time, and I think he’s itching to get back out there.”
In other team news, Newcastle forward Dylan Lucas has been named on an extended bench, raising hopes of an early return from an ankle fracture he suffered in round 21.
At the Warriors, Jackson Ford’s comeback from a pectoral injury lasted just 24 minutes after he suffered an ankle problem against the Dolphins. However, winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is also on an extended bench after suffering a broken collarbone in round 25.
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