NRLW star set to lose body part to prolong career

“My toes are ugly anyway. A toe is a toe.”

Sydney Roosters NRLW Jessica Sergis faces the prospect of losing a body part if she decides to prolong her career in the future.

Continually being threatened by a constant foot injury, it has been revealed the Sergis is willing to do an Angus Crichton and chop off her toe in a bid to keep her career going – Crichton cut off half his middle finger in 2017.

Sergis and Crichton aren’t the only ones to have cut off a body part to prolong their career. David Gillespie was the first in 1986, removing two joints of his left index finger, while Mark Carrol retired because of a toe injury that was partly removed in 1999, just before the merger of several NRL clubs.

“We have to get in there and clean it out or chop the top off,” Sergis said, per News Corp.

“My toes are ugly anyway. A toe is a toe.”

This isn’t the face time Jessica Sergis has faced a major freak injury. Earlier in the year, the centre suffered a disastrous finger injury that required surgery to fix with four screws and a plate.

“I put the ball on the ground (to score a try) and my finger went the other way,” Sergis said.

The unfortunate toe injury occurred at the Women’s Rugby League World Cup last year in England during the Final against New Zealand.

However, she would score two tries in the game and be seemingly untroubled by the nature of the injury – travelling to Europe for the next two months.

“Angus can cut off a finger, I can cut off a toe,” Sergis, who is planning further surgery later this month, said.

“I didn’t know it was broken.”

“I thought it was infected. I was taking all this stuff to bring the infection down. I got home and had scans and then surgery a few days later.

“I’m still having issues with it. I still can’t fit in shoes. I have to go up in sizes. It’s really annoying.

“It is my left pinky toe. It looks like my big toe to be honest. It’s fat and swollen. If I get stood on it absolutely aches.

“I feel like it’s a bit broken. I had a week off during pre-season and was in hospital for five days because we thought it was infected.”

A large chunk of the Jillaroos’ 2022 Rugby League World Cup have been named as part of the squad for the upcoming Tests in Townsville and Melbourne, while nine of the ten NRLW clubs are represented in the squad.

Out of the World Cup squad, Sam Bremner, Shenae Ciesiolka, Taliah Fuimaono, Tallisha Harden, and Holli Wheeler have missed out.

Star fullback Tamika Upton has been included and is likely to debut for the Jillaroos, while Emma Manzelmann and Jess Elliston are the other new faces.

Full squad

Tarryn Aiken (Sydney Roosters)
Kezie Apps (Wests Tigers)
Shaylee Bent (Gold Coast Titans)
Ali Brigginshaw (Brisbane Broncos)
Lauren Brown (Gold Coast Titans)
Jaime Chapman (Gold Coast Titans)
Kennedy Cherrington (Parramatta Eels)
Yasmin Clydsdale (Newcastle Knights)
Keeley Davis (Sydney Roosters)
Jess Elliston (Gold Coast Titans)
Caitlan Johnston (Newcastle Knights)
Isabelle Kelly (Sydney Roosters)
Olivia Kernick (Sydney Roosters)
Emma Manzelmann (North Queensland Cowboys)
Shannon Mato (Gold Coast Titans)
Evania Pelite (Gold Coast Titans)
Julia Robinson (Brisbane Broncos)
Jessica Sergis (Sydney Roosters)
Simaima Taufa (Canberra Raiders)
Emma Tonegato (Cronulla Sharks)
Tamika Upton (Newcastle Knights)

Fixtures

Saturday, October 14: Australia vs New Zealand at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville, 6pm
Saturday, October 28: Australia vs New Zealand at AAMI Park, Melbourne, 6pm