Sergis sacrifice set to pay off in NRLW grand final

Sydney Roosters' Jess Sergis (right) has made a stunning recovery from a knee injury. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

Jess Sergis believes if not for her decision to forgo five weeks of wages to focus on recovering from her knee injury, she may not be playing in the NRLW finals.

The Sydney Roosters centre held fears for her season when scans revealed she had suffered a medial cruciate ligament injury late in the round-three defeat of Wests Tigers in August.

"When I first did it, I felt a pop and was in excruciating pain," Sergis said.

"I found out a few hours later after my scan that I didn’t feel any more pain because it was completely torn off.

"I got a few opinions and a couple said that it was season over and that I should rehab well and to not rush anything."

But after a hand injury rubbed Sergis out of last year's shock semi-final loss to Gold Coast, the 27-year-old felt determined not to spend another post-season in the casualty ward.

"It was a bit of a deja vu moment," Sergis said.

Jess Sergis.
Jess Sergis sacrificed five weeks of wages to concentrate on her recovery.

But ensuring she would be fit for the finals meant making a significant financial sacrifice.

With the blessing of her boss, Sergis put her day job as a support worker on hold for five weeks and prioritised her recovery.

Sergis wasn't worried about the hit she would take to the hip pocket, though.

"I feel worse for my kids at work because I’m a support worker, so to take five weeks away from them, I felt quite guilty," she said.

"I knew that they love seeing me on the field, so it wasn’t just for me, it was for them as well. 

"It comes with sacrifices and financial hardship because we’ve all got to work, but this is more important for me. I’d rather be heading into the week that we’ve got, and I’d do it all again."

As part of her recovery, Sergis underwent platelet-rich plasma injections, which she described as "horrible", and spent most days at the Roosters' headquarters with the medical staff.

The dedication proved worth it, with Sergis returning via the bench to help the Roosters beat Newcastle in Sunday's grand final qualifier.

"I feel like if I didn’t do that (stop work for five weeks) then I wouldn’t have played on Sunday," she said.

Tony Herman's Cronulla side is now all that stands between the Roosters and premiership glory.

Sergis returns to the starting side for Sunday's grand final, but would have been unfazed had coach John Strange kept her on the bench.

"I don't care where I am, where I'm playing, as long as I can just get around the girls. I'm a happy lady," she said.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store