NRLW Roosters captain Isabelle Kelly remains hopeful to finish the season after she was cleared of a broken jaw following fears of a season-ending injury on Saturday night against the Cowboys.
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In the midst of a dominant and undefeated season run, the Roosters suffered a cruel blow as their captain and star centre copped an elbow to the jaw from Cowboys winger Fran Goldthorp in the game’s 51st minute.
The 28-year-old immediately dropped to the ground and appeared in serious distress as trainers handed her a towel to hold over her mouth. She was slowly walked off the field and taken straight to hospital.
Fears of a broken jaw worried fans that the club’s three-time Dally M medalist would miss the finals series, given the usual five-to-eight week recovery period for this injury.
However, the Roosters medical team have confirmed an oral fracture for Kelly, with an aim to return by the season’s finals series.
With fractures typically taking a few weeks to heal, the team is confident Kelly will take the field should the Sydney side make the grand final on October 5.
Since her debut in 2018, Kelly has been a powerful force for first the Dragons and then the Roosters, captaining the 2024 and 2025 State of Origin series. The centre has stood out this season in particular, emerging as a favourite to take out the Dally M medal as she led the votes by six when voting went behind closed doors after round five.
Even facing an injury to their leader, with just two weeks remaining in the season, the Roosters remain the competition favorites.
Coming away from their 15th win in a row, the Roosters appear unstoppable as they are poised to win their second-straight premiership, with only the Brisbane Broncos resting at their heels.
With the Broncos just two points behind them, the race for the minor premiership is tight as the Roosters will face the Raiders and last year’s runners up, Cronulla Sharks, in the last two weeks of the season.
Finishing the season without their captain may see the Roosters face their first loss, although if their 30-0 win against the Cowboys after Kelly went down is any indication, the Broncos will be in for a tough race.
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