I wonder if his absence has anything to do with the Keith Titmuss inquest… he’s been summoned to an interview this week.
Could very well be. They were best mates and Keith's death hit hard.
Hopefully some closure for the family and close friends.
I wonder if his absence has anything to do with the Keith Titmuss inquest… he’s been summoned to an interview this week.
Seems like an inappropriate topic to make a joke about
I apologise to yourself and anybody else whom took offence. The crack was made at the the idea of Schu turning up for something, and I wasn't really thinking from the perspective of the event itself... but certainly, I understand some took it that way. Again, my apologies to those upset by it.Seems like an inappropriate topic to make a joke about
I do recon Schuster has reaggravated his calf and i recon i know why. I've seen a few articles now and seen podcasts talking about how individuals have a set body shape and size. Obviously, Schuster can loose 10 kilos and still be fine but the transition of trying to get fitter this off season in short time puts the muscles in an unfamiliar position causing leg injuries.![]()
Sea Eagles slam Schuster exit rumours, provide injury update
Schuster has had chickenpox and a finger injury recently.www.zerotackle.com
Hmmm. From yesterday.
Does Schu or doesn't Schu have a calf injury?
Seibold and Metrov can't even get their stories the same.
I really hope they are not shafting the young kid as Schu firing will be the X factor in Manly havinga chance of winning the GF this year. Turbo has to be fit as well.
A very good point. Which I had forgotten.Him having given evidence about being next to his best mate.. Before he passed.
Perhaps there is reason the club have been patient with him
Very true. As critical as I have been of him, after reading about the inquest, I'm now cutting Schu a bit of slack.Him having given evidence about being next to his best mate.. Before he passed.
Perhaps there is reason the club have been patient with him.
Thank you for this emotional post @Dion JohnsonHis best friend died in front of him. It’s time we change the Josh Schuster narrative
In the last three years, few NRL players have been interrogated more than Josh Schuster.
If it wasn’t his form, it was his fitness, and if it wasn’t his fitness, it was the $800,000 a year he was trousering as one of the NRL’s brightest prospects.
Doubtless he has been paid on the enormous potential he is trying hard to fulfil, as opposed to consistently high levels of performance. But that is the prerogative of an NRL club.
Some would say the scrutiny comes with the territory of being a highly paid professional rugby league player, as long as it’s within reason. Buy the ticket, take the ride.
But maybe some context is needed. For more than three years Schuster has been dealing with the death of his childhood friend right in front of him at Manly training. A companion with whom he was so close that he refused to let go of his hand as he sat with him on the floor of the club’s Narrabeen gym after he suffered a seizure.
With his head bowed and his throat choking with sobs as he gave his evidence, a window into Schuster’s world emerged inside a sterile courtroom during the coronial inquest into the death of former Sea Eagles player Keith Titmussat a training session in November 2020.
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The court heard Schuster sat on the floor of the dojo with Titmuss, holding his hand even as Manly support staff and paramedics tried to clear the area to render emergency care.
Schuster had been close friends with Titmuss since kindergarten. They’d played junior footy together and, in the words of Schuster, they “wanted to play NRL and for their country [Samoa] together”. It was a dream they were well on the way to achieving.
As a cast of Manly officials at the time – including former coach Des Hasler – have climbed into the witness box to give their version of events on that fateful day, most of whom have broken down in tears during their evidence, it’s hard to think anyone outside Titmuss’ family has carried as much emotion as Schuster.
“I still believe a lot of the boys are affected by what happened,” Manly’s former head physio James Rahme told the inquest.
Apart from being a witness, Schuster has also attended other harrowing days of the hearing, sitting quietly in the courtroom offering support to the Titmuss family.
They now know the likely cause of Keith’s death was exertional heatstroke, ending an uncertainty which has lingered for years.
The inquest will continue this week. Deputy state coroner Derek Lee will then make recommendations, no doubt focused on how hard NRL players train in the opening weeks of pre-season and the number of medical personnel required at each session.
While the inquest might help with the grieving process for Titmuss’ family, it might also help Schuster. He is human, like all other players, and has carried this horrific tragedy in the early years of what is hopefully a long NRL
This pre-season hasn’t been easy either. He’s had a dose of chickenpox, a spiral fracture of his finger and a minor calf strain.
But Sea Eagles officials privately knew those setbacks were nothing compared to the Titmuss inquest on the horizon – and they know the narrative needs to change around Schuster, still only 22.
When Sea Eagles captain Daly Cherry-Evans publicly challenged Schuster over his standards last year, the rugby league world sat up and took notice. Those conversations are usually kept behind closed doors, but Cherry-Evans stared straight down the barrel of a television camera and didn’t miss.
His tune has been very different this year.
“Look, he’s had a really hard off season, to be completely honest,” Cherry-Evans said. “I don’t think now is the time to be challenging Josh about where he is at, The priority is just making sure he’s all good.
“Ask anyone who’s had setback after setback. It’s actually really hard, mentally, so it’s just making sure we’re supporting Josh at the moment ... because I know he’ll hold up his end of the bargain and work hard to get in the side.
“I don’t know when he’s back, I don’t know when he’s ready to play, but I just know he makes our team better when he’s fit and healthy, and I’m sure we’re going to be leaning on Josh this year.”
The Sea Eagles will play the Roosters in their main trial match next weekend before jetting off to Las Vegas for the historic double-header at Allegiant Stadium. It will be the start of a long climb back to the finals under coach Anthony Seibold.
Tom Trbojevic aside, maybe no player will have more of am influence on their fortunes this year than Schuster.
And possibly only now are we understanding what he’s really been going through.
That is very sad some think this wayThere is no light switch to flick here, every person is different and their process is different.
@BOZO Just think of the next few weeks as someone else's time to shine.That is very sad some think this way
We need to change our way of thinking if we are to turn things around
The fact is the light switch is on the fingertips of every one
And each one of us chooses to remain in the dark or switch that fcking light on !
Self Pity is Self Abuse !
Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
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10 | 9 | 1 | 124 | 20 |
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9 | 7 | 2 | 72 | 16 |
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9 | 7 | 2 | 49 | 16 |
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11 | 7 | 4 | 59 | 14 |
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9 | 6 | 3 | 57 | 14 |
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10 | 6 | 4 | -10 | 14 |
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11 | 6 | 5 | 107 | 12 |
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11 | 6 | 5 | -9 | 12 |
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10 | 5 | 5 | -56 | 12 |
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11 | 5 | 5 | 30 | 11 |
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10 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 10 |
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11 | 5 | 6 | -12 | 10 |
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9 | 3 | 6 | -71 | 8 |
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10 | 3 | 6 | -9 | 7 |
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9 | 2 | 7 | -69 | 6 |
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10 | 2 | 8 | -91 | 6 |
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10 | 1 | 9 | -186 | 4 |