The Parramatta Eels season, filled with injury woes, continues with star fullback Isaiah Iongi ruled out for the remainder of the year with a knee injury.
Iongi fell awkwardly in a tackle against South Sydney on the weekend and was quickly escorted off the field with a knee injury.
The Eels fullback was later seen on the sidelines with a knee brace on his right leg and crutches to assist him.
Fresh reports from the Daily Telegraph reveal Iongi has avoided the dreaded ACL injury, which would have resulted in a nine-month recovery period.
Instead, the Tongan international suffered a medial and posterior knee injury, eliminating fears of an ACL issue.
It means Iongi’s season is over, with an expected return timeline of four to six weeks, which ends his 2026 campaign with the Eels.
Injuries dominated headlines for the Eels this year, with one of the worst casualty ward sheets in recent NRL history.
To start the year, Maroons representative J’maine Hopgood ruptured his ACL following a nasty hip-drop tackle in March, while fellow middle Matt Doorey ruptured his ACL a week later, leaving a massive hole in the Eels pack for the remainder of the season, only four rounds in.
One week later, winger Bailey Simonsson suffered a nasty ankle fracture and dislocation on Easter Monday and was subsequently ruled out for the entire season.
Tongan centre Will Pensini has been battling lingering osteitis pubis issues requiring a complex recovery and time off the field.
Enforcer Junior Paulo also required knee surgery during the season, which disrupted his campaign and placed the Eels’ middle in plenty of trouble.
Additionally, the first-choice halves pairing, Mitchell Moses and Jonah Pezet, also dealt with respective hamstring issues throughout the season.
It’s meant the club has dwelled at the bottom of the ladder for most of the year, unable to string performances together amid constant injury disruptions to key players.
The Eels sit in 13th on the ladder and will miss out on playing in the finals again.
The club have a mixed bag of opponents before the curtain closes on their season, as they face the Cowboys, Dolphins, Sharks, and Dragons to round out their season.
This shapes up as a tough run home to avoid finishing in the bottom quarter.
Pezet will depart the Eels after a 12-month stop-gap stint from the Storm, and will link up in Brisbane on a long-term deal to play at halfback.
Four-time premiership-winning half Jarome Luai joins the club next year on another stop-over deal, forming a lethal spine combination with Moses, Iongi, and Tallyn Da Silva.
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