The Sydney Roosters have provided injury updates for four of their sidelined stars, including one edge forward nearly lost over the pre-season.
While the club has accrued every bit of bad injury luck over the past three years, the cavalry is slowly but surely returning for the tri-colours.
The Roosters have been forced to field a young line-up to start the 2023 season, seemingly losing a player every time they got one back from the casualty ward. Matt Lodge injured his face in the first round, while Angus Crichton remains on leave.
However, despite some longer-term absences in the rehab room, three members of their top 30 have returned to full training.
Sitili Tupouniua, Billy Smith and rookie Robert Toia all missed the pre-season after the trio each tore their ACLs during last season, however in positive news, all three have returned to full team training.
Smith has been plagued by injuries during his NRL career, notably his knee, playing just 12 first-grade games since his 2019 debut for the Chooks.
Tupouniua is the star of the trio, though.
The Tongan international looked set to be traded for a moment in the pre-season, the Roosters offering up the second-rower in an immediate swap deal for Dominic Young, however Newcastle declined the offer.
Despite being jam-packed with potential, Egan Butcher has struggled at times after being thrown into the starting line-up as Trent Robinson juggles his back-row minus Crichton and Tupouniua.
The news isn't as glowing for injured utility Connor Watson, who went down in January with a patella tendon injury.
Still in the early phases of his rehab, Watson will meet with a surgeon next week for an assessment, and start plotting when he can steal the No. 14 jersey back from Jake Turpin.
The Roosters will enjoy the bye this weekend, a much-needed rest coming off a physical clash against South Sydney.
