League: Snapped ligament wrecks Price's season

Steve Price

Warriors captain Steve Price may be out for the season after doctors confirmed yesterday that he had snapped the medial ligament in his right knee.

Price had an MRI scan and a full assessment of his injury will be made today to predict the length of his recovery, but he will require minor surgery.

He previously suffered a medial strain to the right knee in 2000, coincidently also against Wests Tigers. And last year he snapped the left knee medial ligament in the NRL playoffs and missed the grand final win.

After leaving the field in the 55th minute of Sunday's 24-6 win over the Tigers, Price said the injury felt the same as the one he suffered in 2004 - except that it was the other knee.

It took him eight weeks to rebuild from that injury, but the injury in 2000 suggests it may take longer this time.

The club is resigned to losing him for up to 12 weeks. Considering they have the bye in the last round of 26, that may mean he plays again this season only if the side make the playoffs without him.

They sit one place off the eight, with a positive points differential. But from here they face a harder programme. There are away games to the Dragons this weekend, the Cowboys in Townsville, the Roosters and Panthers in Sydney, the Storm in Melbourne, and they finish at Manly in round 25.

Although the Warriors skipper has been impressing with his ground-gain and tackle count, it is his leadership the team will miss more.

Monty Betham, back from suspension, will captain the side from hooker against St George at Wollongong on Saturday.