The Roosters have been dealt a heavy blow on the eve of the 2024 NRLW season with a trio of stars suffering serious injuries.
NSW State of Origin five-eighth Corban Baxter will miss the entire campaign after rupturing her ACL and tearing her lateral meniscus in the club's pre-season trial against the Sharks. The 30-year-old will see a specialist later in the week to determine whether she requires surgery.
Brydie Parker also fractured her forearm in the draw and will spend six-eight weeks on the sidelines.
The injuries come after Shawden Burton was ruled out for the year after tearing her hamstring during the pre-season.
"We are all really feeling for Corban," Roosters coach John Strange said. "She is our vice-captain and such a valuable asset to our playing group, so to have her miss the entire 2024 season is a really big loss.
“It’s also disappointing news for [Burton]. She has worked so hard to recover from the ACL injury that sidelined her mid-way through last year, so this new injury is really unlucky.
“Pleasingly for Brydie, we expect to see her back in the next six to eight weeks or so."
Earlier in the pre-season, the Gold Coast were dealt a triple blow ahead of their 2024 NRLW campaign with Cook Islands star Chantay Kiria-Ratu ruled out for the season after suffering an ACL injury. The news came after new recruit Ivana Lolesio and Destiny Mino-Sinapati were also been ruled out of the Titans 2024 campaign with knee injuries.
Forward Sienna Lofipo missed the State of Origin decider in Townsville after suffering a knee injury in Game Two in Newcastle. Scans revealed the 19-year-old sustained a PCL injury during her Origin debut for the Maroons and she will now begin recovery with the aim of taking part in the 2024 NRLW season.
Another player who will miss the 2024 season is Dragons forward Tara McGrath-West, who is nursing a sternum injury and won't feature this year. McGrath-West has played 13 games for the Dragons across the past two seasons.
Broncos playmaker Gayle Broughton remains sidelined after building up to a return to running after undergoing surgery just prior to Christmas to fix a painful back injury.
The 27-year-old played the entire 2023 NRLW season with a L4–L5 disc bulge in her lower back that was pressing against nerves, which was only diagnosed at the conclusion of the campaign.
Your club's NRLW Casualty Ward
Eels | Dragons | Roosters | Wests Tigers
Brisbane Broncos
- Gayle Broughton (back, TBC)
- Shanae Ciesiolka (hand, TBC)
Canberra Raiders
- Amelia Pasikala (ankle, pre-season)
Cronulla Sharks
No reported injuries.
Gold Coast Titans
- Sienna Lofipo (knee, TBC)
- Chantay Kiria-Ratu (ACL, 2025 season)
- Destiny Mino-Sinapati (knee, 2025 season)
- Ivana Lolesio (knee, 2025 season)
Newcastle Knights
- Viena Tinao (foot, indefinite)
- Simone Karpani (foot, indefinite)
- Jules Kirkpatrick (ACL, indefinite)
North Queensland Cowboys
- Autumn-Rain Stephens-Daly (knee, 2025 season)
Parramatta Eels
- Kelsey Clark (ACL, indefinite)
St George Illawarra Dragons
- Tara McGrath-West (sternum, 2025 season)
Sydney Roosters
- Amber Hall (ankle, pre-season)
- Tavarna Papalii (ACL, pre-season)
- Brydie Parker (arm, Round 5-7)
- Corban Baxter (knee, 2025 season)
- Shawden Burton (hamstring, 2025 season)
Wests Tigers
No reported injuries.