Mortlock to miss Super 14 season

[travelling_gerry]

Mortlock to miss Super 14 season

October 16, 2007
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html


AUSTRALIA captain Stirling Mortlock is set to miss the 2008 Super 14 season with a shoulder injury.
The Australian reported the Wallabies and Brumbies centre had been carrying the complaint during the national team's failed World Cup campaign.
Mortlock reportedly had scans on his shoulder on Monday with the newspaper reporting he was likely to require a full reconstruction.
Mortlock is set to have an arthroscopy on Friday where his diagnosis will be confirmed.
The 30-year-old has already had two shoulder reconstructions in his career.
Mortlock's loss would be a savage blow to the Brumbies who have already lost long-term halves pairing George Gregan and Stephen Larkham.

[Jess]

Well there goes their back line.

No Gregan, no larkham and now no Mortlock.

Will be character building that's for sure.

[James]

You don't always need a good backline to win games- just ask England.
If everyone was fit you could have a pretty solid backline and even pick up a surprise package or two from the ARC.

[Evie]

bugger. Its going to be a very very inexperienced Brumbies team next season, so hoping Rathbone will be fit and firing to help that little bit.

[GIGS20]

That's a bugger for them, I like Stirlo a lot and it'll be a shame not tosee him play at Perth again.

I'm sure there'll be a replacement willing to have a good old fashioned crack at keeping him out for good!

[JediKnight]

I thought he was retiring anyway?!

[shasta]

"Highly placed but unnamed sauces claim that Western Force million-dollar man Matt Giteau will be heading................"

[lmaag]

Poor Stirling. Hope he gets through it ok.

[Happy]

"Highly placed but unnamed sauces claim that Western Force million-dollar man Matt Giteau will be heading................"

those darn sauces...

[jono]

thats a shame.
hope he recovers well

[Jehna]

I thought he was retiring anyway?!

Not retiring but there is speculation about him heading overseas to play out his career. So on the plus side i can't imagine him doing that now. By time he gets back into super 14, plays out a season and gets back on track it'll be almost time for the next world cup and i don't think he'd leave when he was that close again...unless he can't return to form or something...

Pity for the Brumbies and for him...i imagine that was the last thing he wanted after the world cup loss

[Jehna]

Mortlock eyes April return

17/10/2007 12:36:36 PM
Adam Lucius
Sportal

Wallaby captain Stirling Mortlock has rubbished reports he will miss next year's Super 14 season, declaring he will be back by April after undergoing shoulder surgery.

The Brumbies centre is due to undergo a reconstruction - his third such operation - after carrying a shoulder injury throughout Australia's failed World Cup campaign.

It was feared the 30-year-old centre may be out of action until next year's international season, but those doubts were allayed by Mortlock on Wednesday.

"The report was that I'd be out for the whole Super 14 but hopefully it isn't on the money," he told Sportal. "We're looking at a six-month rehab so I should be back in an April window somewhere." "I should be back midway through the Super 14 towards the business end of the season." "It's not ideal but I did know about it for a while and worse things can happen." "Hopefully I get through the operation and everything goes smoothly and then I'll rip into rehab."

ACT Brumbies coach Laurie Fisher was also looking on the positive side. "Five months out from the start of the season - when you know what you've got - it's a lot easier than losing someone three games into the year," he said. "It's far from ideal but it allows time for planning and for everyone to get their heads around what we've got to do."

"At this stage we're targeting early April (for his comeback) … the last five or six rounds." "He only started six games for us this year, so it's not a position we're unfamiliar with."

Fisher backed Mortlock to make a full recovery and return to his best despite this latest setback.

"That's part of parcel (of rugby). He's been though it all before a number of times," Fisher said of the injury. "He's obviously disappointed but he will get it done and throw himself into rehab." "That's one thing you can guarantee - he will do the work to get back in minimum time."

[slomo]

"Highly placed but unnamed sauces claim that Western Force million-dollar man Matt Giteau will be heading................"

......................................to the cott on wednesday night!!!

[wilko]

those darn sauces...

were they red or brown ..

[JediKnight]

were they red or brown ..

just as well there's no baby-blue sauce as it'd be a whole lot of dribbling splatter coming out of the bottle