Exciting young West Australian scrumhalf Justin Turner will undergo a knee reconstruction after suffering an injury at training on Thursday
Turner underwent a knee reconstruction in June last year after injuring himself while on duty with the Australian U20’s at the IRB Junior World Championships in Argentina. Scans yesterday confirmed that he has re-torn the ACL in his right knee.
The 20 year old had been working diligently with club medical staff and was making excellent progress in his rehabilitation in preparation for the 2011 Super Rugby season.
“Justin is a quality young man and his dedication to his rehab program was second to none,” Head Coach Richard Graham said.
“The program put together for Justin by our medical team was spot on and had him in great shape and this was just one of those very unfortunate incidents.
“We’ll give Justin all the support he needs. He is a popular member of the squad and has a lot of good mates that have rallied around him and together we’ll help him get back onto the field,” Graham said.
It is a bitter pill to swallow for the talented scrumhalf who made his Emirates Western Force debut in dramatic circumstances last year and played the final seven games of the season. The youngster was sent on late in the round eight clash against the Stormers in Perth and was pivotal in the Emirates Western Force’s last gasp win, delivering the pass to David Hill that allowed him to convert a drop goal after the hooter.
A local product, Turner made his way to the top level through the RugbyWA academy set-up and signed a two year professional contract in May. He’ll undergo surgery in the coming weeks before starting again on the road to recovery.
The Emirates Western Force has cover in the scrumhalf position with experienced campaigner Brett Sheehan, returning Australian Sevens Player of the Year James Stannard and rookie Mark Swanepoel.
