The Newcastle Knights have confirmed star centre Bradman Best's hopes of playing State of Origin are all but over, with a dislocated elbow confirmed to keep him out for four to six weeks.
Best was taken from the field with a graphic injury during Thursday's loss to the Brisbane Broncos, his elbow clearly out of place.
While he has been cleared of a fracture, the club's head physio Craig Catterick said he will be looking at four to six weeks.
"It was quite a horrific injury for Bradman," Catterick told club media.
"A dislocation of the elbow. The scans show he has a ligament rupture there, and he is looking at about four to six weeks for recovery.
"The arm is still quite swollen this morning, but we are doing everything we can to get that down as quickly as possible."
Bradman Best is set to miss 4-6 weeks after scans revealed ligament damage in the elbow he dislocated in Round 11. Thankfully no mention of fracture (6+ weeks recovery), which considering the traumatic nature of the injury was a possibility. Same elbow he hyperextended in 2021
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) May 24, 2022
The Knights have also confirmed that Kurt Mann and Hymel Hunt are both tracking towards Round 14 returns.
Mann is recovering from a burst artery in his ankle - a rare injury that is believed to have only occurred a handful of times globally - while Hunt is returning from a facial fracture.
"Kurt's tracking okay. He had an ultrasound on the stent that was put into the artery this morning. We are just waiting for the results to come through," Catterick added on Mann.
"The radiologist and doctor will speak later today, and hopefully have him back by Round 14 is the game plan."
"Hymel is another one tracking for Round 14 at this stage."
Star hooker Jayden Brailey's return is also getting closer, although still some distance off.
Brailey is returning from a ruptured Achilles sustained in the pre-season, but is unlikely to return to full training before July, with it believed a return to play would be some weeks after that occurs.
That could leave Brailey looking at anywhere between Round 18 (when Newcastle play the Manly Sea Eagles) and Round 20 (when the Knights play the Canterbury Bulldogs. In between, they will take on the Sydney Roosters.
"He is travelling very well," Catterick said.
"As you have seen from some recent footage, he is starting to do some running on the field. We are putting a bit more volume into him now, and hopefully have him back into full training in July."
