Sydney Roosters have suffered another major hit to their NRL premiership hopes with Luke Keary suffering a suspected ruptured spleen in their 26-4 loss to Melbourne at the SCG.
The loss will hurt less than the growing casualty ward with Keary, Mitch Aubusson (fractured wrist) and Lachlan Lam (ankle) all taken from the field on Thursday night.
Test five-eighth Keary was helped from the field in severe pain in the 63rd minute and was later taken to hospital by paramedics with what was first thought to be a rib injury.
He received a needle at halftime and went back on but had to be taken from the field as he fought to keep playing.
In the sheds, concerns grew for a ruptured spleen given the location of the hit where he was whacked by Storm centre Brenko Lee.
"He was running and trying to stay on but we could see it," Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.
"It was actually our call to get him off rather than his call in the end.
"He sent (the trainer) away, but you've got to save them from themselves sometimes."
Aubusson and Lam were both replaced in the first half and did not return, leaving just Poasa Faamausili on the bench for the final 20 minutes of the match.
There are fears a fractured wrist would mean Aubusson has played his final match for the club given the 301-game player is off-contract at the end of the season.
"I don't really want to think about that now," Robinson said.
It adds to an already swollen injury list that includes Boyd Cordner, Brett Morris, Victor Radley, Daniel Tupou, Angus Crichton and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
But Robinson didn't allow it as an excuse.
"We were poor tonight, we got outplayed. We can talk about injuries and I can talk about how unlucky we were but we got outplayed," he said.
"We've had games before where we've finished with one on the bench or none on the bench and we've played really well but we got out-footyed tonight."
The Roosters struggled to contain the dominant Storm, who were steered around the park by Jahrome Hughes behind a ferocious pack.
Missing superstars Cameron Smith and Cameron Munster, the likes of Brandon Smith, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Justin Olam and Hughes delivered for Melbourne.
A remarkable 13 offloads gassed the Roosters through the middle as Melbourne forwards dominated field position and delivered second-phase play for their speedy backs.
However, the Storm were not without their injury woes.
After scoring the first try in the fifth minute, Hughes battled a groin injury to stay on the field while Suliasi Vunivalu suffered a broken jaw.
Olam notched up a double, while Felise Kaufusi rounded of the try scorers for Melbourne.
The Roosters remained scoreless until the 64th minute when winger Christian Tuipulotu scored on debut
As if their NRL dominance wasn't clear enough, the Storm have now had eight-game winning streaks in all of their past four seasons.
"I was really proud of our guys tonight," coach Craig Bellamy.
"I know the Roosters have got a lot of injuries, and unfortunately for them they had a couple again tonight.
"Losing a guy like Keary, he's one of the elite players in the competition."
Melbourne are now top of the NRL ladder, while the Roosters remain clinging to the top four.
Australian Associated Press
