NSW and Australian wrecking-ball Caitlan Johnston-Green has played her last game for the Newcastle Knights after being ruled out for the NRLW season because of a knee injury.
The powerhouse prop, who will leave the Knights at the end of this year to join the Sharks, suffered a grade-three MCL (medial collateral ligament) tear in her right knee at training last week.
The 23-year-old front-rower watched on from the sidelines in a knee brace as the two-time defending premiers suffered a shock 18-10 loss to the previously win-less St George Illawarra Dragons at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday night.
Johnston-Green had further scans this week, but is facing the prospect of surgery and at least eight weeks on the sidelines recovering before she prepares for her move to Cronulla.
There are six rounds left in the nine-week regular season before the two-week finals series culminates with the NRLW grand final on October 6.
Though the Knights had feared the worst after Johnston-Green broke down at training, she was only ruled out when they declared their team an hour before kick-off against the Dragons and Kayla Romaniuk was named in her place in the run-on side.
Knights: Round 3
Knights NRLW coach Ben Jeffries was reluctant to divulge details straight after the game as the team was still coming to terms with the news and the club was still seeking further medical information.
"Obviously the group knew that she wasn't going to play at the back end of the week, and that's part and parcel of the game," Jeffries said.
"And every team as you look at the NRLW now, there's injuries in our space, so we've just got to deal with it. To what extent, we're not sure yet, but we'll soon find out Monday or Tuesday ... I know it's going to be a longish term, whether it's the whole season is another thing, but we know she's definitely not playing next week [against Cronulla]."
Jeffries explained Johnston-Green sustained the injury during a contact drill at training.
"We were going full tilt, and obviously we needed to do some work around some contact, but unfortunately that happened," he said.
Johnston-Green suffered a similar injury to her left knee last year, ruling her out of the 2023 State of Origin series, but she returned to help lead the Knights to back-to-back premiership.
Jeffries was certain Johnston-Green would still play an important role off the field, supporting her fellow middle forwards and other teammates in their quest for a third straight title.
"She's gutted, because obviously we know where she's going next year, but she was all in on the red and blue this year," Jeffries said.
"But these things happen in our game and we can only support her through that space.
"She can actually play a role off the field at the moment for our group, especially now after what happened tonight. She's in good spirits though."
Jeffries will look to the likes of Tayla Predebon, Romaniuk, Rima Butler, Simone Carpani, Viena Tinao and Jacinta Carter to play their roles to help fill the void.
A three-time NRLW premiership-winner - twice with Newcastle and once with the Roosters - Karpani had been sidelined from the NRLW since early last season because of a foot injury, but recently returned for the Knights in the second-tier Harvey Norman NSW Women's Premiership.
"We've certainly got enough middle forwards ... so it's next one up, basically," Jeffries said.
Knights vice-captain Tamika Upton wants to take more responsibility to help her team bounce back after the Dragons ended their 11-game winning streak stretching back more than a year.
Newcastle scored two early tries to lead 10-0 by the 17th minute, but the Dragons fought back to draw level at 10-10 by half-time, then added two more tries after the break to open their account for the season.
"Like BJ said, we've got a lot of middle forwards, and the way we play is we front-load for our forwards, and I have full faith in the girls that are going to step up," Upton said.
"With CJ out, as a leader, I have to be better out there. I think we all have to be better out there.
"The Dragons really came to play so we just have to step it up."
