Thursday night’s clash between the Sydney Roosters and the Melbourne Storm was a rugby league bloodbath, with multiple key names suffering injuries throughout the high-scoring affair.
Players from both sides were sent off the field early with injury concerns, with one incident occurring as a result of a friendly fire clash.
Mid-way through the first half, the Roosters were defending their line against the Storm, with a two-point buffer that they’d hoped to expand on.
Unfortunately for them, not only did Harry Grant break through the line and score, but a pair of Roosters clashed heads with sickening intensity in an attempt to stop the Storm hooker from scoring.
Sandon Smith and Salesi Foketi were both knocked to the ground after the brutal head clash, knocking out the former in his return to first grade.
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 11: Salesi Foketi of the Roosters looks on during the round six NRL match between Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium, on April 11, 2025, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Roosters medics rushed to both players aid, with Foketi and Smith being helped to the sideline for HIA’s.
Smith, in particular, was in a bad way, struggling to stand straight as two trainers carried him off. He was unable to return to the match.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson touched on how the side will press forward in the post-match press conference, stating, “We’ll lose [Sandon] for a week, obviously, and Hugo [Savala] will be right to go, I’d say.”
Foketi was deemed a Category 2 and passed his HIA in the sheds.
In a game that also saw Jahrome Hughes hobble off with a shoulder dislocation, the injury toll in the match was certainly worrisome.