In what is a terrible blow for the NSW VB Blues and the Sydney Roosters, Boyd Cordner is set to miss at least a month of football due to a foot injury sustained during the match last Wednesday.
It would be a massive loss for the VB Blues, as Cordner is the only NSW player with points to his name so far this series, and he was voted players' player by his team-mates on the night.
He scored a try, ran for 128 metres with two tackle busts, made 28 tackles, and played for the entire 80 minutes in what was a gruelling contest against Queensland.
"[The injury is] a couple of ligaments in my toe, and there's a little bit in there called the sesamoid bone which acts like your kneecap and I broke that," Cordner told Nine News.
"I'm hoping for best-case scenario at the moment which is about 4-6 weeks, [and] I’m seeing the surgeon a couple of days after and surgery is going to be a bit longer, it’s going to take about 6-12 months.
"That’s just depending on how it's healing and how it's going so fingers crossed I don’t need surgery."
His linebreak on Wednesday was the only one recorded for the New South Wales team, and it’s a bitter blow considering he has been in scintillating form since returning from injury on ANZAC Day.
However, while Cordner is confident in his ability to recover from injuries, he admits he's struggling mentally, and the thought of more rehabilitation is playing on his mind.
"It's definitely tough, every time you get an injury everyone just seems to say 'you’ve done it before, you’ll be alright' but it just gets harder and harder.
"Probably emotionally more than physically, I know what to do, I know how to get back but just emotionally you start to feel a bit empty."
Cordner's replacement will be named in the VB Blues' Origin II squad to be announced next week.
There’s no better way to support the NSW VB Blues than by being there – and by being a part of The Star-backed Blatchys Blues. Click here to purchase tickets and to secure a seat to witness history. Don’t forget, for all the latest on the VB Blues and State of Origin, download the official NSWRL app and make www.NSWRL.com.au your homepage.
