Another big blow

ROOSTERS STORM DRAGONS KNIGHTS SHARKS SEA EAGLES

THE North Queensland Cowboys believe their growing casualty ward is more a case of bad luck than poor preparation after losing yet another forward to a season- ending injury.

Workhorse backrower Ben Spina ( pictured) will require surgery to repair a ruptured bicep after he was forced from the field at halftime of last weekend’s 23- 22 loss to the Storm in Melbourne.

It’s a blow for the Inghamborn- and- bred forward who has flourished with an extended run in the NRL side, averaging 60 metres and 12 tackles off the bench while also snaring two tries.

Spina’s serious injury puts further pressure on North Queensland’s dwindling forward stocks, with co- captain Matt Scott ( ACL) and Patrick Kaufusi ( foot) both already out for the season.

Coach Paul Green said the club would wait until after surgery to put a time frame on Spina’s recovery, but he conceded the 29- year- old, who is also off contract, was unlikely to play for the Cowboys again in 2017.

“He’s pulled it off the distal end or the bottom end so that’s probably the worst end you can do,” Green said.

“You need to have surgery straight away so we’ll see how he gets through that, but it’ll make it difficult for him to get back at this stage.

“He’s done a good job for us off the bench there. Any time we get an injury it is a tough time, but unfortunately it’s part of the game.”

The Cowboys now have five players on the long- term injured list with Spina, Scott, Kaufusi, Josh Chudleigh ( ACL), and Shaun Hudson ( ACL) while the likes of Johnathan Thurston ( calf, shoulder), Lachlan Coote ( calf), Jake Granville ( leg), and Antonio Winterstein ( arm) have also had extended stints on the sidelines.

It’s a far cry from North Queensland’s blessed run to the 2015 premiership when Green was able to stick with the same 17 players throughout the finals series.

Green said the Cowboys had examined their training routines to see if they could pinpoint a cause for the sudden run of injuries, but the coach felt they would just have to grin and bear it.

“We’ve looked closely at our training protocols and programs and largely nothing too much has been different, apart from a bit of volume stuff for some of the rep players,” Green said.

“Whether it’s luck or just our turn, you get presented with different challenges so that’s ours at the moment.”