It's a rupture according to the SMH.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/b...1172868821920.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
SHATTERED Dragons five-eighth Mark Gasnier has been ruled out for the season after rupturing his pectoral muscle in last night's Charity Shield win against South Sydney. Gasnier suffered the injury in a seemingly innocuous 63rd-minute tackle on Rabbitohs centre Nigel Vagana and has been been rated a "99.9 per cent chance" of sitting out the entire year.
"I'm shattered - I can't believe it," Gasnier said. "I'm going to be there for the rest of the team and work hard to get back as soon as possible."
Dragons coach Nathan Brown described the setback as a "tragedy" when he broke the news to the media after the match.
"It's a tragedy, he's one of the world's greatest players so it's a big disappointment," he said. But she's a rough game and we aren't going to be the only club that goes through it."
The news was a huge blow to the Dragons' premiership campaign, but Brown wasn't prepared to write the season off.
"I think in the past we've shown that when we've lost key players we've still done well," he said. "We've still got Heady [injured halfback Mathew Head] to come back in round five, who's a pretty good player himself and we've got to play around it. We've got to push on, I'm still positive our year could be good."
Making the setback even tougher was the fact Gasnier, who was set to make a permanent shift from the centres to pivot this year, displayed some flashes of brilliance in his new position.
The Test star was dangerous with the ball in hand, threatening the line with his trademark shimmy and combined well with halfback Ben Hornby. He set up the Dragons' first try with a perfectly timed long ball to Wes Naiqama, which gave the the troubled winger enough time and space to beat his opposite and find the line.
He didn't touch the ball in his side's second try but was nonetheless instrumental in the outcome. Acting as a decoy, he attracted the interest of the Rabbitohs defence, allowing Josh Morris to complete a set piece involving Simon Woolford and Hornby down the left side of the field.
"He was going all right, wasn't he?" Brown said. "Everyone was disappointed, but the players know themselves there's no point losing one player and then the last three months goes out the window and there's no point turning up. It's disappointing but as a group of blokes, coaches and players, we're going to work really hard and we feel we've got some good options that will help us achieve what we want to achieve."
A MAJOR PAIN
THERE are fears Mark Gasnier might never be the same player after rupturing a pectoral muscle last night.
A pectoral muscle injury can cause severe pain in the chest area, swelling, bruising and loss of vertical lifting power. When surgery is called for the surgeon will reconnect the muscle, but in most cases the muscle will never be as strong nor as flexible as before, doctors say. Rehabilitation is usually long and painful.
Two of the most recent rugby league victims of similar injuries, Luke Davico and Scott Geddes, both struggled to regain their former strength - and both suffered repeat injuries.
Former Canberra enforcer Davico, now with Newcastle, suffered a torn pectoral muscle that ended his 176-game career at the Raiders in 2004. A recurrence at English club Wigan two years ago almost forced his premature retirement.
Souths prop Geddes first suffered a similar injury in the 2004 Charity Shield and missed several months. He had a recurrence early last year.
Gasnier's former teammate Luke Bailey, now with the Gold Coast, suffered a similar injury in 2001 and 2004 but his form will give Gasnier heart.
Bad Luck Dragons. If I had more respect for the guy, I'd feel for him as well.
