29 Mar 2011

Knee injury ends Jerome Ropati's season

6:30 am on 29 March 2011

There's been another big injury blow for the Warriors with centre Jerome Ropati to miss the rest of the NRL season.

Ropati ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in yesterday's third-round loss to St George Illawarra in Auckland.

The team doctor John Mayhew says a scan has confirmed the 26-year-old will need surgery in a week or two and will be out for about six months

Coach Ivan Cleary says the injury's devastating for Ropati, who made his 130th appearance for the Warriors yesterday. and a huge disappointment everyone else at the club.

The Warriors' star winger Manu Vatuvei is out for up to eight weeks after damaging medial ligaments in his right knee in the opening round home loss to Parramatta.