Shoulder injury provides a ‘silver lining’ as
SHAUN Johnson’s knee injury may have given Mason Lino his big break but the 23-year-old halfback has an injury of his own to thank for keeping him at Mt Smart.
Unwanted by the Warriors at the end of 2014 despite a promising career at under-20s level, Lino had signed to play in the picturesque French town of Carcassonne only for the club to pull a last-minute U-turn after he hurt his shoulder.
It was an extremely bitter pill to swallow at the time. But as he has shown on several occasions throughout his brief career, even as recently as Friday night, Lino has made a knack of making the best out of a bad situation.
And having finally made his return to first grade, with a new contract to boot, he would not have it any other way.
‘‘Doing my shoulder was a silver lining in a way,’’ Lino told Sunday News. ‘‘I remember my manager telling me that it could be a sign maybe to stay. And where I am now I’m pretty happy.
‘‘I’m here for another two years. I love this club and they’ve looked after me.’’
It has been two years since the Samoan international made his NRL debut and there were times when he thought he would never get another chance at the Warriors. But Lino is nothing if not resilient. Throwing in the towel simply is not in his nature.
The injury that ended his French sojourn, a partial dislocation of his right shoulder, occurred during the 2014 NYC grand final against the Broncos.
He played through the pain, setting up two tries and kicking five goals that ultimately proved the difference.
Thrown a part-time deal by the Warriors, a lengthy recovery period meant Lino started the 2015 season well behind the eight ball. By the end it, he had been called up to first grade and signed a contract extension.
Still well down the playmaking pecking order in 2016, Lino kept plugging away to become one of the most consistent performers in the NSW Cup.
When Johnson went down against the Panthers two weeks