Michael Carayannis, The Daily Telegraph
July 4, 2020 1:16pm
The last time Marcelo Montoya played, he suffered injuries doctors said were more akin to a car crash.
It has been almost 12 months since Marcelo Montoya took to the field after a simple attempted tackle after a kick and chase left him sidelined with a badly damaged knee.
“The doctor said they don’t see injuries like that in rugby league,” Montoya said.
“I ruptured my PCL, MCL, tore my meniscus and had a fracture in my medial. The surgeon said this kind of injury is like a car accident when you’re a passenger and the airbag goes off when you’re going at high speed and you hit someone from behind. It crushes your knee. I tore everything but my ACL.”
In the game on July 18 last year, Montoya’s leg struck Brisbane’s fullback Anthony Milford. After the three-hour operation, Montoya readied himself for the gruelling rehabilitation process, having previously spent three months in a knee brace.
“It’s like any rehab, it’s always tough,” Montoya said.
“It was tougher knowing how long the process was, but I got my head around it pretty fast. When you’re by yourself, you still have those dark times. I didn’t fear for my career but more the fact I’m off contract this year. That’s what scared me the most. I had the hard work ethic and get back to where I needed to be to play good footy.”
Montoya, 24, finally had his body conditioned to push for selection after the competition resumed after the COVID-19 shutdown. Just when he was on the cusp of a recall, another kick-and-chase effort resulted in a major setback.
“We were doing an opposed session in the lead-up to the boys playing Manly (on May 31) and as I took off to chase a kick, my hamstring went,” Montoya said.
“I’d done my other one before so I knew straight away what it was. That was more frustrating and heartbreaking than the knee injury because I was ready to play. It happened in the first five minutes of training.”
Later that same day, Montoya was given more gut-wrenching news. He became the first player ordered to move out of home because of the NRL’s strict biosecurity rules.
His mum, Litiana, is a nurse aged-care home, forcing Montoya to move in with an old junior footy coach, Nick Lloyd, and his family.
“I was rattled about that but it was one of those things that had to be done,” Montoya said.
“I was moving everything with a limp because of my hamstring. It’s been about seven weeks since I saw mum,” he said. “We talk every day.”
Montoya’s 353-day wait between games will come to an end on Sunday when he lines up for the Bulldogs against South Sydney at Bankwest Stadium.
“I’m excited and a bit nervous,” Montoya said.
“There is a different feeling playing this time. Coming back from injury, I feel like I’ve achieved something. I had those moments where I questioned myself and if I could do 12 months in the gym by myself. But you tell yourself, ‘You’re young and you’ve worked too hard to let it go’.”
July 4, 2020 1:16pm
The last time Marcelo Montoya played, he suffered injuries doctors said were more akin to a car crash.
It has been almost 12 months since Marcelo Montoya took to the field after a simple attempted tackle after a kick and chase left him sidelined with a badly damaged knee.
“The doctor said they don’t see injuries like that in rugby league,” Montoya said.
“I ruptured my PCL, MCL, tore my meniscus and had a fracture in my medial. The surgeon said this kind of injury is like a car accident when you’re a passenger and the airbag goes off when you’re going at high speed and you hit someone from behind. It crushes your knee. I tore everything but my ACL.”
In the game on July 18 last year, Montoya’s leg struck Brisbane’s fullback Anthony Milford. After the three-hour operation, Montoya readied himself for the gruelling rehabilitation process, having previously spent three months in a knee brace.
“It’s like any rehab, it’s always tough,” Montoya said.
“It was tougher knowing how long the process was, but I got my head around it pretty fast. When you’re by yourself, you still have those dark times. I didn’t fear for my career but more the fact I’m off contract this year. That’s what scared me the most. I had the hard work ethic and get back to where I needed to be to play good footy.”
Montoya, 24, finally had his body conditioned to push for selection after the competition resumed after the COVID-19 shutdown. Just when he was on the cusp of a recall, another kick-and-chase effort resulted in a major setback.
“We were doing an opposed session in the lead-up to the boys playing Manly (on May 31) and as I took off to chase a kick, my hamstring went,” Montoya said.
“I’d done my other one before so I knew straight away what it was. That was more frustrating and heartbreaking than the knee injury because I was ready to play. It happened in the first five minutes of training.”
Later that same day, Montoya was given more gut-wrenching news. He became the first player ordered to move out of home because of the NRL’s strict biosecurity rules.
His mum, Litiana, is a nurse aged-care home, forcing Montoya to move in with an old junior footy coach, Nick Lloyd, and his family.
“I was rattled about that but it was one of those things that had to be done,” Montoya said.
“I was moving everything with a limp because of my hamstring. It’s been about seven weeks since I saw mum,” he said. “We talk every day.”
Montoya’s 353-day wait between games will come to an end on Sunday when he lines up for the Bulldogs against South Sydney at Bankwest Stadium.
“I’m excited and a bit nervous,” Montoya said.
“There is a different feeling playing this time. Coming back from injury, I feel like I’ve achieved something. I had those moments where I questioned myself and if I could do 12 months in the gym by myself. But you tell yourself, ‘You’re young and you’ve worked too hard to let it go’.”