SYDNEY ROOSTERS will consider sending second-rower Anthony Cherrington under the surgeon's knife for the same revolutionary procedure performed on Sydney Swan Nick Malceski and retired Shark Luke Covell in an effort to avoid him having a third consecutive season written off by injury.
Scans today are expected to confirm a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Cherrington's left knee, suffered in the 75th minute of the Roosters' trial against the Bulldogs at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday night. He sat out last year with the same injury to his right knee, and in 2009 was restricted to five NRL appearances by a foot problem.
Faced with the certainty of missing another NRL campaign if he undergoes traditional knee reconstruction, the 22-year-old has been told by Roosters medicos that an artificial graft - called a ligament augmentation and reconstructive system (LARS) operation - is an option. The procedure, which proved successful for its pioneering Australian sporting subject Malceski in 2008 but has had mixed results elsewhere, could shorten Cherrington's recovery time to four months, meaning he could be back by mid-season.
However, that alternative is far from flawless. ''There is the option to use an artificial graft,'' Roosters doctor John Orchard said. ''The problem with them is they don't have repairability. They start off well but can deteriorate over time because the body can't actually lay down natural fibres.
''The likelihood we will go with it is pretty low but we are discussing it with Anthony. You have to weigh up all the options in these situations.''
