Gold Coast Titans coach Josh Hannay has been putting out fires left, right, and centre since joining the club, and looks to be eyeing yet another hurdle.
England’s AJ Brimson has suffered a Grade Three AC joint injury, scans revealed, compounding the side’s 3–0 Ashes series whitewash against Australia.
Brimson, who recently switched allegiance from Australia to England through his mother’s heritage, sustained significant AC joint damage during the opening 10 minutes of England’s 30–8 defeat at Headingley.
GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 03: AJ Brimson of the Titans breaks away from the defence during the round 27 NRL match between the Gold Coast Titans and Canterbury Bulldogs at Cbus Super Stadium on September 03, 2023 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
The 27-year-old was forced to limp from the field, leaving coach Shaun Wane devastated.
“He’s really, really damaged his AC, it’s bad, and they’re really painful,” Wane told AAP.
“He was so gutted to come off.
“He’s a brave kid and he’s loved his time here.
“He’s been a great addition to our squad, I’ve been really impressed.”
The injury ends Brimson’s first series in English colours prematurely, with the Gold Coast Titans confirming Brimson will aim for a January return date.
Wane admitted Brimson’s early exit heavily impacted England’s attack, forcing him to redeploy Mikey Lewis at fullback, a position he hadn’t played in for two years.
“That hurt us a lot, no doubt about it,” Wane said.
“It hurt the way we do everything, but I thought we adapted well.”
The heavy defeat capped a disappointing series for England, who were swept 3–0 on home soil.
For Brimson, the injury adds insult to injury after what was shaping up as a promising start to his international career.